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MEDICAL  SOCIETY 


OF   THE 


STATE  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


OFFICERS  AND  COMMITTEES, 
CONSTITUTION  AND  BY-LAWS, 
PRINCIPLES  OF  MEDICAL  ETHICS, 
CONSTITUTION  AND  BY-LAWS 
FOR    COUNTY   SOCIETIES 


RALEIGH  : 

Presses  of  Edwards  i 
1903. 

Broughton, 

1^ 

Medical  Society  of  the  State  of  North 
Carolina. 


Officers  and  Committees — 1904. 

President— De.  HENRY  BASCOM  WEAVER Asheville 

First  Vice-President— Dr.  JOHN  HEY  WILLIAMS Asheville 

Second  Vice-President — Dr.  JOHN  C.  RODMAN Washington 

Third  Vice-President — Dr.  S.  P.  PFOHL Winston 

Secretary— Dr.  J.  HOWELL  WAY Waynesville 

Treasurer— Dr.  GEO.  T.  SIKES Grissom 

Council. 

First  District — Dr.  Oscar  McMullan,  Elizabeth  City. 
Second  District — Dr.  David  T.  Tayloe,  Washington. 
Third  District — Dr.  Prank  H.  Russell,  Wilmington. 
Fourth  District — Dr.  Albert  Anderson,  Wilson. 
Fifth  District — Dr.  J.  F.  Highsniith,  Fayetteville. 
Sixth  District — Dr.  Hubert  A.  Royster,  Raleigh. 
Seventh  District — Dr.  Edward  C.  Register,  Charlotte. 
Eighth  District — Dr.  H.  S.  Lott,  Winston. 
Hinth  District — Dr.  Thos.  E.  Anderson,  Statesville. 
Tenth  District — Dr.  James  A.  Burroughs,  Asheville. 

Delegates  to  American  Medical  Association — Drs.  J.  Howell  Way, 
Waynesville;   Albert  Anderson,  Wilson. 

Committees  on  Public  Policy  and  Legislation — Drs.  R.  H.  Lewis, 
Raleigh;  P.  L.  Murphy,  Morganton;  George  G.  Thomas,  Wilmington; 
H.  B.  Weaver,  Asheville;   J.  Howell  Way,  Waynesville. 

Committee  on  Publication — Drs.  J.  Howell  Way,  Waynesville; 
H.  McKee  Tucker,  Raleigh;  George  W.  Pressly,  Charlotte. 

Committee  on  Obituaries — Drs.  C.  M.  Poole,  Craven;  H.  H.  Harris, 
Wake  Forest;   K.  P.  Battle.  Jr..  Raleigh. 

Committee  on  Finance — Drs.  James  A.  Burroughs,  Asheville; 
T.  E.  Anderson.  Statesville;  Frank  Duffy,  New  Bern. 

Member  of  Committee  of  Arrangements  for  Session  190-i — Dr.  H. 
A.  Royster,  of  Raleigh. 

Orator — Dr.  C.  A.  Julian,  of  Thomasville. 
Essayist — Dr.  J.  G.  Blount,  of  Washington. 
Leader  of  Debate — Dr.  J.  A.  Williams,  of  Reidsville. 


u       \ 


Chairmen  of  Sections. 

Anatomy  and  Surgery — Dr.  J.  E.  Stokes,  Salisbury. 
Materia  Medica  and  Therapeutics — Dr.  G.  C.  Edwards,  Hookerton. 
Practice  of  Medicine — Dr. ,D.  L.  Aaron,  Mt.  Olive. 
Physiology  ami  Chemistry — Dr.  F.  L.  Siler.  Franklin. 
Obstetrics — Dr.  Frank  Roberts,  Marshall. 
Gynaecology — Dr.  P.  A.  Nicholson,  of  Washington. 
Medical  Jurisprudence  and  State  Medicine — Dr.  Seavy  Highsmith. 
Hope  Mills. 
Pathology  and  Microscopy — Dr.  M.  L.  Stevens,  Asheville. 
Railway  Surgery — Dr.  H.  A.  Royster,  Raleigh. 

Committee  on  Scientific  Work — Drs.  J.  Howell  Way,  Waynesville; 
James  Sawyer,  Asheville;  A.  W.  Knox,  Raleigh. 

Delegates  to  Virginia  Medical  Society — Drs.  H.  A.  Royster,  Ra- 
leigh; J.  A.  Coggleshall,  Henderson;  James  A.  Burroughs,  Asheville. 

Delegates  to  South  Carolina  Medical  Society — Drs.  J.  M.  Ledbetter, 
Rockingham;  D.  M.  Prince,  Laurinburg;  J.  P.  Munroe,  Davidson. 

The  Board  of  Medical  Examiners  of  the  State  of  North  Carolina, 
Ji)02-'S. — M.  H.  Fletcher,  M.D.,  Asheville.  President,  Physiology 
and  Hygiene;  Frank  H.  Russell,  M.D.,  Wilmington,  Surgery;  Jam'es 
M.  Parrott,  M.D.,  Kinston,  Anatomy  and  Histology;  C.  O'H.  Laugh- 
inghouse.  M.D.,  Greenville,  Obstetrics  and  Gynecology;  A.  A.  Kent, 
M.D.,  Lenoir,  Practice  of  Medicine;  J.  T.  J.  Battle,  M.D.,  Greensboro. 
Materia  Medica,  and  Therapeutics;  George  W.  Pressly,  M.D.,  Secre- 
tary, Charlotte.  Chemistry  and  Pharmacy. 

The  North  Carolina  State  Board  of  Health. — Geo.  G.  Thomas,  M.D., 
President,  Wilmington;  S.  Westray  Battle,  M.D..  Asheville;  Henry 
W.  Lewis,  M.D.,  Jackson;  J.  L.  Nicholson,  M.D.,  Richlands;  W.  P. 
Ivey,  M.D.,  Lenoir;  Francis  Duffy,  M.D.,  New  Bern;  W.  H.  White- 
head, M.  D.,  Rocky  Mount;  J.  L.  Ludlow,  C.  E.,  Winston-Salem; 
Richard  H.  Lewis,  M.D.,  Secretary  and  Treasurer,  Raleigh. 


*The  52d  annual  session  of  the  Society  will  be  held  in  Raleigh 
June  1,  1904.  The  officers  of  the  Society,  especially  invite  the  active 
cooperation  of  the  Presidents  and  Secretaries  of  County  Societies, 
with  the  Committee  on  Scientific  Work,  that  an  attractive  program 
be  secured. 


Memoranda. 

At  the  forty-ninth  annual  session  of  the  Medical  Society  of  the 
State  of  North  Carolina  in  Wilmington,  N.  C,  in  1902,  the  address 
of  the  President,  Dr.  Robt.  S.  Young,  contained  the  following : 

"At  the  St.  Paul  (1901)  meeting  of  the  American  Medical  Associa- 
tion, a  new  Constitution  and  By-laws  were  adopted.  The  American 
Medical  Association  earnestly  requests  the  co-operation  of  our 
Society  in  its  organization.  The  officers  of  that  Association  asked 
me  to  bring  the  matter  before  you.  I  herewith  transmit  the  cor- 
respondence, and  beg  you  to  authorize  a  special  committee  to  con- 
sider this  subject,  and  report  during  this  meeting." 

Page  33,  Transactions  of  the  same  session,  contains  the  following: 

"The  committee  on  the  president's  message  reported  in  favor  or 
the  suggestions  made;  *  *  *  they  recommend  that  a  committee 
be  appointed  to  draft  a  constitution  along  the  lines  laid  down  by  the 
American  Medical  Association,  and  to  report  to  the  next  meeting 
of  the  Society. 

"The  President  appointed  the  following  committee  on  a  new  con- 
stitution: Drs.  J.  Howell  Way,  M.  H.  Fletcher,  H.  A.  Royster,  J.  A. 
Burroughs,  Geo.  W.  Pressly." 

In  accordance  with  the  instructions  therein  contained,  the  com- 
mittee carefully  considered  the  matter,  and  after  a  most  critical 
study  of  the  whole  subject,  submitted  the  Constitution  and  By-Laws 
as  contained  in  the  following  pages  for  the  action  of  the  Society. 

At  the  fifty-first  annual  session  in  Hot  Springs,  N.  C,  beginning 
June  3,  1903,  Dr.  A.  W.  Knox,  President,  the  report  of  the  committee 
was  accepted  and  made  the  subject  of  a  full  and  free  discussion 
extending  over  a  portion  of  two  days,  when  the  Society  unanimously 
adopted  the  Constitution  and  By-Laws  as  reported  by  the  committee, 
and  contained  in  the  following  pages: 

The  Principles  of  Medical  Ethics,  as  adopted  by  the  American 
Medical  Association  at  the  annual  session  in  New  Orleans  in  May, 
1903,  was  adopted  by  the  Medical  Society  of  the  State  of  North 
Carolina  at  its  fifty-first  annual  session  in  Hot  Springs,  N.  C,  June 
3,  1903. 

The  Constitution  and  By-Laws  for  county  societies  is  merely  sug- 
gestive and  may  be  amended  or  altered  to  meet  local  conditions,  such 
alterations  being,  of  course,  in  harmony  with  the  general  plan  of 
organization  of  the  State  Society. 


CONSTITUTION  AND  BY-LAWS 

OF  THE 

MEDICAL  SOCIETY  OF  THE  STATE  OF 
NORTH  CAROLINA. 


[Adopted  at  the  Fifty-First  Annual  Session,  Hot  Springs,  N.  C,  June  3,  1903.] 


ARTICLE  I.— Title  of  the   Society. 
The  name  and  title  of  this  organization  shall  be  "The  Medical 
Society  of  the  State  of  North  Carolina." 

ARTICLE  II. — Purposes  of  the  Society. 
The  purpose  of  this  Society  shall  be  to  federate  and  bring  into 
one  compact  organization  the  entire  medical  profession  of  the  State 
of  North  Carolina,  and  to  unite  with  similar  organizations  in  other 
States  to  form  the  American  Medical  Association;  with  a  view  to 
the  extension  of  medical  knowledge,  and  to  the  advancement  of  med- 
ical science;  to  the  elevation  of  the  standard  of  medical  education, 
and  to  the  enactment  and  enforcement  of  just  medical  laws;  to  the 
promotion  of  friendly  intercourse  among  physicians,  and  to  the 
guarding  and  fostering  of  their  material  interests;  and  to  the  en- 
lightenment and  direction  of  public  opinion  in  regard  to  the  great 
problems  of  state  medicine;  so  that  the  profession  shall  become  more 
capable  and  honorable  within  itself,  and  more  useful  to  the  public 
in  the  prevention  and  cure  of  disease,  and  in  prolonging  and  adding 
comfort  to  life. 

ARTICLE  III. — Component  Societies. 
Component   societies   shall   consist  of  those  district  and   county 
medical  societies  which  hold  charters  from  this  State  Society. 

ARTICLE  IV. — Composition  of  the  Society. 

Section  1.  This  Society  shall  consist  of  Members,  Delegates, 
Guests,  Honorary  Members,  and  Honorary  Fellows. 

Sec.  2.  Members. — The  Members  of  this  Society  shall  be  the 
members  of  the  component  county  medical  societies. 

Sec  3.  Delegates. — Delegates  shall  be  those  members  who  are 
elected  in  accordance  with  this  Constitution  and  By-laws  to  repre- 
sent their  respective  component  county  societies  in  the  House  of 
Delegates  of  this  Society. 

Sec  4.  Gcests. — Any  distinguished  physician  not  a  resident  of 
this  State  may  become  a  guest  during  any  annual  session  upon  invi- 
tation of  the   Society,   or  its   Council,   and   shall   be   accorded   the 


privilege  of  participating  in  all  of  the  scientific  work  for  that 
session. 

Sec.  5.  The  Honorary  Members  shall  consist  of  such  regular 
physicians  as  have  won  distinction  by  their  contributions  to  medi- 
cal science;  those  elderly  physicians  who.  prior  to  their  retirement 
from  practice,  have  displayed  a  proper  interest  in  the  welfare  of 
this  Society,  or  who,  by  their  example,  have  reflected  credit  and 
honor  upon  the  profession.  They  must  be  nominated  by  the  Council 
and  receive  a  two-thirds  vote  of  the  members  of  the  House  of 
Delegates  present  at  the  meeting  at  which  their  names  are  pre- 
sented for  election.  They  shall  be  exempt  from  all  dues  and  fines, 
and  shall  be  entitled  to  all  the  privileges  of  the  Society,  except  the 
right  to  vote  and  hold  office. 

Sec.  6.  The  Honorary  Fellows  shall  consist  of  such  physicians 
as  have  been  members  of  this  Society  continuously  for  thirty  years, 
and  whose  dues  have  been  paid  during  that  time.  They  shall  receive 
a  two-thirds  vote  of  the  members  of  the  House  of  Delegates  present 
at  the  meeting  at  which  their  names  are  proposed  for  promotion. 
They  shall  be  exempt  from  all  dues  and  fines,  and  shall  be  entitled 
to  all  the  privileges  enjoyed  by  active  members  in  good  standing. 

ARTICLE  V.— House  of  Delegates. 

The  House  of  Delegates  shall  be  the  legislative  and  business  body 
of  the  Society,  and  shall  consist  of  (1)  delegates  elected  by  the 
component  county  societies,  and  (2)  ex  officio  the  officers  of  the 
Society  as  defined  in  this  Constitution. 

ARTICLE  VI. — Sections  and  District  Societies, 
The  House  of  Delegates  may  provide  for  a  division  of  the  scien- 
tific work  of  the  Society  into  appropriate  sections,  and  for  the  organ- 
ization of  such  councilor  district  societies  as  will  promote  the  best 
interests  of  the  profession,  such  societies  to  be  composed  exclusively 
of  members  of  component  county  societies. 

ARTICLE  VII. — Sessions  and  Meetings. 

Section  1.  The  Society  shall  hold  an  Annual  Session,  during 
which  there  shall  be  held  daily  not  less  than  two  General  Meetings, 
which  shall  be  open  to  all  registered  members,  delegates  and  guests. 

Sec.  2.  The  time  and  place  for  holding  each  Annual  Session  shall 
be  fixed  by  the  House  of  Delegates. 

ARTICLE  VIII.— Officers. 

Section  1.  The  officers  of  this  Society  shall  be  a  President,  three 
Vice-Presidents,  a  Secretary,  a  Treasurer,  and  ten  Councillors. 

Sec.  2.  The  President  and  Vice-Presidents  shall  be  elected  for  a 
term  of  one  year.  The  Secretary,  Treasurer  and  Councillors  shall 
be  elected  for  terms  of  three  years  each.  All  of  these  officers  shall 
serve  until  their  successors  are  elected  and  installed. 


0 

Sec.  3.  The  officers  of  this  Society  shall  be  elected  by  ballot, 
a  majority  of  the  votes  cast  being  necessary  to  elect,  by  the  House 
of  Delegates  on  the  morning  of  the  last  day  of  the  Annual  Session, 
but  no  Delegate  shall  be  eligible  to  any  office  named  in  the  preceding 
section,  except  that  of  Councillor,  and  no  person  shall  be  elected 
to  any  such  office  who  is  not  in  attendance  upon  the  Annual  Ses- 
sion and  who  has  not  been  a  member  of  the  Society  for  the  past 
three  years.  Any  nominee  for  the  office  of  President  shall  have 
been  an  active  member  of  the  Society  for  five  years,  including  the 
year  of  his  election,  shall  have  attended  two  of  three  meetings  im- 
mediately preceding  his  nomination,  including  the  meeting  at  which 
he  is  nominated;  and  shall  be  a  member  in  good  standing  at  the 
time  of  his  nomination. 

ARTICLE  IX. — The  Board  of  Medical  Examinees. 

Section  1.  The  seven  members  of  the  "Board  of  Medical  Exam- 
iners of  the  State  of  North  Carolina"  shall  be  elected  by  ballot  for 
a  term  of  six  years,  a  majority  of  the  votes  cast  being  necessary  to 
a  choice.  The  election  shall  be  held  on  the  second  day  of  the  annual 
meeting,  and  the  balloting  shall  continue  until  the  entire  number 
is  elected. 

Sec.  2.  A  vacancy  occurring  from  any  cause  other  than  expiration 
of  term  of  office,  shall  be  filled  by  the  Board  or  a  quorum  thereof. 

Sec.  3.  The  elective  members  of  the  State  Board  of  Health,  and  of 
the  State  Board  of  Medical  Examiners  for  Nurses,  shall  be  elected 
by  ballot  on  the  second  day  of  the  session. 

ARTICLE  X. — Funds  and  Expenses. 

Funds  for  meeting  the  expenses  of  the  Society  shall  be  arranged 
for  by  the  House  of  Delegates  by  an  equal  per  capita  assessment 
upon  each  county  society,  to  be  fixed  by  the  House  of  Delegates,  by 
voluntary  contribution,  and  from  the  profits  of  its  publications. 
Funds  may  be  appropriated  by  the  House  of  Delegates  to  defray  the 
expenses  of  the  annual  sessions,  for  publication,  and  for  such  other 
purposes  as  will  promote  the  welfare  of  the  Society  and  profession. 

ARTICLE  XI. — Referendum. 

The  general  meeting  of  the  Society  may,  by  a  two-thirds  vote, 
order  a  general  referendum  upon  any  question  pending  before  the 
House  of  Delegates,  and  the  House  of  Delegates  may,  by  a  similar 
vote  of  its  own  members,  or  after  a  like  vote  of  the  general  meeting, 
submit  any  such  question  to  the  membership  of  the  Society  for  a 
final  vote;  and  if  the  persons  voting  shall  comprise  a  majority  of  all 
the  members  of  the  Society,  a  majority  of  such  vote  shall  determine 
the  question,  and  be  binding  upon  the  House  of  Delegates. 


10 

ARTICLE  XII.— The  Seal. 

The  Society  shall  have  a  common  seal,  with  power  to  break, 
change  or  renew  the  same  at  pleasure. 

ARTICLE  XIII.— Amendments. 

The  House  of  Delegates  may  amend  any  article  of  this  Constitu- 
tion by  a  two-thirds  vote  of  the  delegates  registered  at  that  annual 
session,  provided  that  such  amendment  shall  have  been  presented 
in  open  meeting  at  the  previous  annual  session,  and  that  it  shall 
have  been  sent  officially  to  each  component  county  society  at  least 
two  months  before  tue  session  at  which  final  action  is  to  be  taken. 


11 


By-Laws. 


CHAPTER  I.— Membership. 

Sectiom  1.  All  members  of  the  component  county  societies  sMall 
be  privileged  to  attend  all  meetings  and  take  part  in  all  of  the 
proceedings  of  the  annual  sessions,  and  shall  be  eligible  to  any  office 
within  the  gift  of  the  Society. 

Sec.  2.  The  name  of  a  physician  upon  the  properly  certified  roster 
of  members  or  list  of  delegates,  of  a  chartered  county  society  which 
has  paid  its  annual  assessment,  shall  be  prima  facie  evidence  of  his 
right  to  register  at  the  annual  session  in  the  respective  bodies  of 
this  Society:  Provided,  that  licentiates  of  the  State  Board  of  Medi- 
cal Examiners  may,  if  the  House  of  Delegates  so  elects,  at  the 
meeting  of  the  Society  at  which  they  receive  license,  be  entitled 
to  register  upon  payment  of  the  annual  dues  for  that  year,  and  be 
accorded  all  the  privileges  of  other  members  for  that  year,  the  Sec- 
retary of  the  Society  entering  their  names  and  so  certifying  to  the 
secretary  of  the  county  society  where  the  said  licentiates  reside, 
but  said  licentiates  desiring  to  continue  membership  in  this  Society 
must  affiliate  with  their  local  county  society. 

Sec.  3.  No  person  who  is  under  sentence  of  suspension  or  ex- 
pulsion from  any  component  society  of  this  Society  or  whose  name 
has  been  dropped  from  its  roll  of  members,  shall  be  entitled  to 
any  of  the  rights  or  benefits  of  this  Society,  nor  shall  he  be  per- 
mitted to  take  any  part  in  any  of  its  proceedings  until  such  time  as 
he  has  been  relieved  of  such  disability. 

Sec.  4.  Each  member  in  attendance  at  the  annual  session  shall 
enter  his  name  on  the  registration  book,  indicating  the  component 
society  of  which  he  is  a  member.  When  his  right  to  membership 
has  been  verified  by  reference  to  the  roster  of  his  society,  he  shall 
receive  a  badge,  which  shall  be  evidence  of  his  right  to  all  the  privi- 
leges of  membership  at  that  session.  No  member  or  delegate  shall 
take  part  in  any  of  the  proceedings  of  an  annual  session  until  he 
has  complied  with  the  provisions  of  this  section. 

CHAPTER  II. — Annual  and  Special  Sessions  of  the  Society. 

Section  1.  The  Society  shall  hold  an  annual  session  at  such  time 
and  place  as  has  been  fixed  at  the  preceding  annual  session. 

Sec  2.  Special  sessions  of  either  the  Society  or  House  of  Dele- 
gates shall  be  called  by  the  President  at  his  discretion,  or  upon 
petition  of  twenty  delegates. 

CHAPTER  III.— General  Meetings. 
Section    1.     The   general   meetings    shall    include    all    registered 
members,    delegates,   and   guests,    who    shall   have   equal    rights   to 


12 

participate  in  the  proceedings  and  discussions;  and,  except  guests 
and  honorary  members,  to  vote  on  pending  questions.  Each  gen- 
eral meeting  shall  be  presided  over  by  the  President,  or  in  his  ab- 
sence or  disability,  or  by  his  request,  by  one  of  the  Vice-Presidents. 
Bef6re  it,  at  such  time  and  place  as  may  have  been  arranged,  shall 
be  delivered  the  annual  address  of  the  President,  and  the  annual 
orations,  and  the  entire  time  of  the  session,  so  far  as  may  be,  shall 
be  devoted  to  papers  and  discussions  relating  to  scientific  medicine. 

Sec.  2.  The  general  meeting  shall  have  authority  to  create  com- 
mittees or  commissions  for  scientific  investigations  of  special  in- 
terest and  importance  to  the  profession  and  public,  and  to  receive 
and  dispose  of  reports  of  the  same;  but  any  expense  in  connection 
therewith  must  first  be  approved  of  by  the  House  of  Delegates. 

Sec.  3.  Except  bjr  special  vote,  the  order  of  exercises,  papers  and 
discussions,  as  set  forth  in  the  official  program  shall  be  followed 
from  day  to  day  until  it  has  been  completed. 

Sec.  4.  No  address  or  paper  before  the  Society,  except  those  of 
the  President,  Orator  and  Essayist,  shall  occupy  more  than  twenty 
minutes  in  its  delivery;  and  no  member  shall  speak  longer  than  five 
minutes,  nor  more  than  once  on  any  subject. 

Sec.  5.  All  papers  read  before  the  Society  shall  be  its  property. 
Each  paper  shall  be  deposited  with  the  Secretary  when  read,  and 
if  this  is  not  done  it  shall  not  be  published. 

CHAPTER  IV. — House  of  Delegates. 

Section  1.  The  House  of  Delegates  shall  meet  annually  at  the 
time  and  place  of  the  annual  session  of  the  Society,  and  shall  so 
fix  hours  of  meeting  as  not  to  conflict  with  the  first  general 
meeting  of  the  Society,  or  with  the  m'eeting  held  for  the  address 
of  the  President  and  the  annual  orations,  and  so  as  to  give  delegates 
an  opportunity  to  attend  the  other  scientific  proceedings  and  dis- 
cussions so  far  as  is  consistent  with  their  duties.  But  if  the  busi- 
ness interests  of  the  Society  and  profession  require,  it  may  meet 
in  advance,  or  remain  in  session  after  the  final  adjournment  of  the 
general  meeting. 

Sec.  2.  Each  component  county  society  shall  he  entitled  to  send 
to  the  House  of  Delegates  each  year  one  delegate  for  every  twenty- 
five  members,  and  one  for  each  major  fraction  thereof,  but  each 
county  society  holding  a  charter  from  this  society  which  has  made 
its  annual  report  and  paid  its  assessment  as  provided  in  this  Con- 
stitution and  By-Laws,  shall  be  entitled  to  one  delegate. 

Sec.  3.  A  majority  of  the  registered  delegates  shall  constitute 
a  quorum,  and  all  of  the  meetings  of  the  House  of  Delegates  shall 
be  open  to  members  of  the  Society. 

Sec.  4.  It  shall,  through  its  officers,  Council,  and  otherwise,  give 
diligent  attention  to  and  foster  the  scientific  work  and  spirit  of  the 


13 

Society,  and  shall  constantly  study  and  strive  to  make  each  annual 
session  a  stepping-stone  to  future  ones  of  higher  interest. 

Sec.  5.  It  shall  consider  and  advise  as  to  the  material  interests 
of  the  profession,  and  of  the  public  in  those  important  matters 
wherein  it  is  dependent  upon  the  profession,  and  shall  use  its  influ- 
ence to  secure  and  enforce  all  proper  medical  and  public  health 
legislation,  and  to  diffuse  popular  information  in  relation  thereto. 

Sec.  6.  It  shall  make  careful  inquiry  into  the  condition  of  the 
profession  of  each  county  in  the  State,  and  shall  have  authority  to 
adopt  such  methods  as  may  be  deemed  most  efficient  for  building 
up  and  increasing  the  interest  in  such  county  societies  as  already 
exist,  and  for  organizing  the  profession  in  counties  where  societies 
do  not  exist.  It  shall  especially  and  systematically  endeavor  to 
promote  friendly  intercourse  between  physicians  of  the  same  local- 
ity, and  shall  continue  these  efforts  until  every  physician  in  every 
county  of  the  State  who  can  be  made  reputable  has  been  brought 
under  medical  society  influence. 

Sec.  7.  It  shall  encourage  post-graduate  work  in  medical  centers, 
as  well  as  home  study  and  research,  and  shall  endeavor  to  have  the 
results  of  the  same  utilized  and  intelligently  discussed  in  the  county 
societies.  (With  these  ends  in  view,  five  years  after  the  adoption 
of  these  By-Laws,  except  by  unanimous  consent  of  the  Committee 
on  Scientific  Work,  no  voluntary  paper  shall  be  placed  upon  the 
annual  program,  or  be  heard  in  the  Association,  which  has  not  first 
been  read  in  the  county  society  of  which  the  author  is  a  member.) 

Sec.  8.  It  shall  elect  representatives  to  the  House  of  Delegates 
of  the  American  Medical  Association  in  accordance  with  the  Con- 
stitution and  By-Laws  of  that  body,  in  such  a  manner  that  not  more 
than  one-half  of  the  delegates  shall  be  elected  in  any  one  year. 

Sec.  9.  It  shall,  upon  application,  provide  and  issue  charters  to 
county  societies  organized  to  conform  to  the  spirit  of  this  Constitu- 
tion and  By-Laws. 

Sec  10.  In  sparsely  settled  sections,  it  shall  have  authority  to 
organize  the  physicians  of  two  or  more  counties  into  societies,  to 
be  designated  by  hyphenating  the  names  of  two  or  more  counties,  so 
as  to  distinguish  them  from  district  and  other  classes  of  societies, 
and  these  societies,  when  organized  and  chartered,  shall  be  entitled 
to  all  the  privileges  and  representation  provided  herein  for  county 
societies,  until  such  counties  may  be  organized  separately. 

Sec  11.  It  may  divide  the  counties  of  the  State  into  ten  coun- 
cillor districts,  and,  when  the  best  interest  of  the  society  and  pro- 
fession will  be  promoted  thereby,  organize  in  each  a  district  medical 
society,  to  meet  midway  between  the  annual  sessions  of  this  Society, 
and  members  of  the  chartered  county  societies,  and  none  others, 
shall  be  members  in  such  district  societies.  (When  so  organized 
from  the  presidents  of  such  district  societies  shall  be  chosen  the 
Vice-Presidents  of  this   Society,  and  the  presidents  of  the  county 


14 

societies  of  the  district  shall  be  the  vice-presidents  of  such  district 
societies.) 

Sec.  12.  It  shall  have  authority  to  appoint  committees  for  special 
purposes  frem  among  members  of  the  Society  who  are  not  mem- 
bers of  the  House  of  Delegates,  and  such  committees  may  report  to 
the  House  of  Delegates  in  person,  and  may  participate  in  the  debate 
thereon. 

Sec.  13.  It  shall  approve  all  memorials  and  resolutions  issued  in 
the  name  of  the  Society  before  the  same  shall  become  effective. 

Sec.  14.  It  shall  present  a  summary  of  its  proceedings  to  the 
last  general  meeting  of  each  annual  session,  and  shall  publish  the 
same  in  the  Transactions. 

CHAPTER  V. — Election  of  Officers. 

Section  1.  All  elections  shall  be  by  secret  ballot,  and  a  majority 
of  the  votes  cast  shall  be  necessary  to  elect:  Provided,  that  when 
only  one  name  is  to  be  balloted  for,  the  Society  may  suspend  the 
rules  and  declare  the  same  elected  by  consent. 

Sec  2.  The  House  of  Delegates,  on  the  first  day  of  the  annual 
sessions,  shall  select  a  Committee  on  Nominations,  consisting  of  ten 
delegates,  no  two  of  whom  shall  be  from  the  same  councillor  district. 
It  shall  be  the  duty  of  this  committee  to  consult  with  the  members 
of  the  Society,  and  to  hold  one  or  more  meetings,  at  which  the 
best  interests  of  the  Society  and  of  the  profession  of  the  State  for 
the  ensuing  year  shall  be  carefully  considered.  The  committee  shall 
report  the  result  of  its  deliberations  to  the  House  of  Delegates  in 
the  shape  of  a  ticket  containing  the  names  of  one  member  for  the 
office  of  President,  and  one  member  for  each  of  the  other  offices  to  be 
filled  at  that  annual  session. 

Sec  3.  The  report  of  the  Nominating  Committee  and  the  election 
of  officers  shall  be  the  first  order  of  business  of  the  House  of  Dele- 
gates after  the  reading  of  the  minutes  on  the  morning  of  the  last 
day  of  the  general  session. 

Sec  4.  Nothing  in  this  article  shall  be  construed  to  prevent  addi- 
tional nominations  being  made  by  members  of  the  House  of  Dele- 
gates. 

Sec  5.  Any  person  known  to  have  solicited  votes  for  or  sought 
any  office  within  the  gift  of  this  Society,  shall  be  ineligible  for  any 
office  for  two  years. 

CHAPTER  VI. — Duties  of  Officers. 

Section  1.  The  President  shall  preside  at  all  meetings  of  the 
Society  and  of  the  House  of  Delegates:  shall  appoint  all  com- 
mittees not  otherwise  provided  for;  shall  deliver  an  annual  address 
at  such  time  as  may  be  arranged;  shall  give  a  deciding  vote  in  case 


15 

of  a  tie,  and  shall  perform  such  other  duties  as  custom  and  par- 
liamentary usage  may  require.  He  shall  be  the  real  head  of  the  pro- 
fession of  the  State  during  his  term  of  office,  and.  as  far  as  practica- 
ble, shall  visit  by  appointment  the  various  sections  of  the  State  and 
assist  the  councillors  in  building  up  the  county  societies,  and  in 
making  their  work  more  practical  and  useful. 

Sec.  2.  The  Vice-Presidents  shall  assist  the  President  in  the 
discharge  of  his  duties.  In  the  event  of  his  death,  resignation  or 
removal,  the  Council  shall  select  one  of  the  Vice-Presidents  to  suc- 
ceed him. 

Sec.  3.  The  Treasurer  shall  give  bond  for  the  trust  reposed  in 
him  whenever  the  House  of  Delegates  shall  deem  it  requisite.  He 
shall  demand  and  receive  all  funds  due  the  Society,  together  with 
the  bequests  and  donations.  (He  shall,  under  the  direction  of  the 
House  of  Delegates,  sell  or  lease  any  estate  belonging  to  the  Society, 
and  execute  the  necessary  papers;  and  shall,  in  general,  subject  to 
such  direction,  have  the  care  and  management  of  the  fiscal  affairs  of 
the  Society.  He  shall  pay  money  out  of  the  treasury  only  on  a 
written  order  of  the  President,  countersigned  by  the  Secretary;  he 
shall  subject  his  accounts  to  such  examination  as  the  House  of 
Delegates  may  order,  and  he  shall  annually  render  an  account  of 
his  doings  and  of  the  state  of  the  funds  in  his  hands.  He  shall 
charge  upon  his  hooks  the  assessments  against  each  component 
county  society  at  the  end  of  the  fiscal  year;  he  shall  collect  and 
make  proper  credits  for  the  same,  and  perform  such  other  duties 
as  may  be  assigned  to  him. 

Sec.  4.  The  Secretary,  acting  with  the  Committee  on  Scientific 
Work,  shall  prepare  and  issue  the  programs  for  and  attend  all 
meetirrgs  of  the  Society,  and  of  the  House  of  Delegates,  and  he  shall 
keep  minutes  of  their  respective  proceedings  in  separate  record 
books.  He  shall  be  custodian  of  all  record  books  and  papers  belong- 
ing to  the  Society,  except  such  as  properly  belong  to  the  Treasurer, 
and  shall  keep  account  of  and  promptly  turn  over  to  the  Treasurer 
all  funds  of  the  Society  which  come  into  his  hands.  He  shall  pro- 
vide for  the  registration  of  the  members  and  delegates  at  the  annual 
sessions.  He  shall  keep  a  card-index  register  of  all  the  legal  prac- 
titioners of  the  State  by  counties,  noting  on  each  his  status  in  rela- 
tion to  his  county  society.  In  so  far  as  it  is  in  his  power,  he  shall 
use  the  printed  matter,  correspondence  and  influence  of.  his  office  to 
aid  the  councillors  in  the  organization  and  improvement  of  the 
county  societies,  and  in  the  extension  of  the  power  and  usefulness  of 
this  Society.  He  shall  conduct,  the  official  correspondence,  notifying 
members  of  meetings,  officers  of  their  election,  and  committees  of 
their  appointment  and  duties.  He  shall  act  as  chairman  of  the 
Committees  on  Scientific  Work  and  on  Publication.  He  shall  employ 
such  assistants  as  may  be  ordered  by  the  Council  or  the  House  of 


16 

Delegates.     He  shall  annually  make  a  report  of  his  doings  to  the 
House  of  Delegates. 

In  order  that  the  Secretary  may  be  enabled  to  give  that  amount 
of  time  to  his  duties  which  will  permit  of  his  becoming  proficient, 
it  is  desirable  that  he  should  receive  some  compensation.  The 
amount  of  his  salary  shall  be  fixed  by  the  House  of  Delegates. 

CHAPTER  VII. — Councillor  Districts. 

Section  1.  To  facilitate  the  more  perfect  organization  of  the 
medical  profession,  the  State  of  North  Carolina  is  hereby  divided  by 
counties  into  ten  councillor  districts,  as  follows: 

First  District. — Currituck,  Camden,  Pasquotank,  Perquimans, 
Gates,  Chowan,  Washington,  Tyrrell,  Dare  and  Hyde. 

Second  District. — Hertford,  Martin,  Pitt,  Bertie,  Beaufort,  Lenoir, 
Jones.  Craven,  Pamlico  and  Carteret. 

Third  District. — New  Hanover,  Pender,  Onslow,  Duplin,  Bladen. 
Sampson,  Columbus  and  Brunswick. 

Fourth  District. — Northampton,  Halifax,  Nash,  Edgecombe,  John- 
son, "Wilson,  Wayne  and  Greene. 

Fifth  District. — Cumberland,  Robeson.  Scotland,  Richmond,  Mont- 
gomery, Moore,  Harnett  and  Chatham. 

Sixth  District. — Wake,  Franklin,  Warren,  Vance,  Granville,  Per- 
son, Caswell,  Alamance,  Orange  and  Durham. 

Seventh  District. — Anson,  Union,  Stanly,  Mecklenburg,  Cabarrus, 
Lincoln,  Gaston,  Cleveland  and  Rutherford. 

Eighth  District. — Rockingham,  Guilford,  Randolph,  Forsyth, 
Stokes,  Surry,  Yadkin,  Alleghany,  Wilkes  and  Ashe. 

Ninth  District. — Davidson,  Davie,  Rowan,  Iredell,  Alexander,  Ca- 
tawba, Caldwell,  Watauga,  Mitchell  and  Burke. 

Tenth  District. — Buncombe,  Yancey,  McDowell,  Madison,  Polk, 
Henderson,  Haywood,  Transylvania,  Jackson,  Swain,  Macon,  Gra- 
ham, Clay  and  Cherokee. 

CHAPTER  VIII— Council. 

Section  1.  The  Council  shall  hold  daily  meetings  during  the 
annual  session  of  the  Association  and  at  such  other  times  as 
necessity  may  require,  subject  to  the  call  of  the  Chairman  or  on 
petition  of  three  Councillors.  It  shall  meet  on  the  last  day  of  the 
annual  session  of  the  Association  for  re-organization  and  for  the 
outlining  of  work  for  the  ensuing  year.  At  this  meeting  it  shall 
elect  a  Chairman  and  Secretary,  and  it  shall  keep  a  permanent 
record  of  its  proceedings.  It  shall,'  through  its  Chairman,  make 
an  annual  report  to  the  House  of  Delegates  at  such  time  as  may  be 
provided. 

Sec.  2.  Each  Councillor  shall  be  organizer,  peace-maker  and  cen- 
sor for  his  district.     He  shall  visit  each  county  in  his  district  at 


17 

least  once  a  year  for  the  purpose  of  organizing  component  societies 
where  none  exist,  for  inquiring  into  the  condition  of  the  profession, 
and  for  improving  and  increasing  the  zeal  of  the  county  societies 
and  their  members.  He  shall  make  an  annual  report  of  his  doings, 
and  of  the  condition  of  the  profession  of  each  county  in  his  dis- 
trict to  each  annual  session  of  the  House  of  Delegates.  The  neces- 
sary traveling  expenses  incurred  by  such  Councillor  in  the  line  of 
the  duties  herein  imposed  may  be  allowed  by  the  House  of  Dele- 
gates upon  a  proper  itemized  statement,  but  this  shall  not  be  con- 
strued to  include  his  expense  in  attending  the  annual  session  of  the 
Society. 

Sec.  3.  Collectively  the  Council  shall  be  the  Board  of  Censors 
of  the  Society.  It  shall  consider  all  questions  involving  the 
rights  and  standing  of  members,  whether  in  relation  to  other  mem- 
bers, to  the  competent  societies,  or  to  this  Society.  All  ques- 
tions of  an  ethical  nature  brought  before  the  House  of  Delegates 
or  the  general  meeting  shall  be  referred  to  the  Council  without 
discussion.  It  shall  hear  and  decide  all  questions  of  discipline 
affecting  the  conduct  of  members  or  of  a  county  society,  upon 
which  an  appeal  is  taken  from  the  decision  of  an  individual  coun- 
cillor.    Its  decision  in  all  such  cases  shall  be  final. 

Sec.  4.  The  Council  shall  have  the  right  to  communicate  the 
views  of  the  profession  and  of  the  Society  in  regard  to  health, 
sanitation  and  other  important  matters  to  the  public  and  the  lay 
press.  Such  communications  shall  be  officially  signed  by  the  Chair- 
man and  Secretary  of  the  Council,  as  such. 

CHAPTER  IX. — Committees. 

Section  1.  The  standing  committees  shall  be  as  follows: 

A  Committee  on  Scientific  Work. 

A  Committee  on  Public  Policy  and  Legislation. 

A  Committee  on  Publication. 

A   Committee   on   Nominations. 

A  Committee  on  Finance. 

A  Committee  on  Obituaries. 

A  Committee  on  Arrangement,  and  such  other  Committees  as 
may  be  necessary.  Such  committees  shall  be  elected  by  the  House  of 
Delegates,  unless  otherwise  provided. 

Sec.  2.  The  Committee  on  Scientific  Work  shall  consist  of  three 
members,  of  which  the  Secretary  shall  be  a  member  and  Chairman, 
and  shall  determine  the  character  and  scope  of  the  scientific  pro- 
ceedings of  the  Society  for  each  session,  subject  to  the  instruc- 
tions of  the  House  of  Delegates  or  of  the  Society,  or  to  the  pro- 
visions of  the  Constitution  and  By-Laws.  Thirty  days  previous  to 
each  annual  session  it  shall  prepare  and  issue  a  program  an- 
nouncing the  order  in  which  papers,  discussions  and  other  business 

Medical 2 


13 

shall  be  presented,  which  shall  be  adhered  to  by  the  Society  as 
nearly  as  practicable. 

Sec.  3.  The  Committee  on  Public  Policy  and  Legislation  shall 
consist  of  three  members  and  the  President  and  Secretary.  Under 
the  direction  of  the  House  of  Delegates  it  shall  represent  the  So- 
ciety in  securing  and  enforcing  legislation  in  the  interest  of  the 
public  health  and  of  the  scientific  medicine.  It  shall  keep  in  touch 
with  professional  and  public  opinion,  shall  endeavor  to  shape  legis- 
lation so  as  to  secure  the  best  results  for  the  whole  people,  and  shall 
utilize  every  organized  influence  of  the  profession  to  promote  the 
general  influence  in  local,  State  and  national  affairs  and  elections. 
Its  work  shall  be  done  with  the  dignity  becoming  a  great  profession, 
and  with  that  wisdom  which  will  make  effective  its  power  and  In- 
fluence. It  shall  have  authority  to  be  heard  before  the  entire 
Society  upon  questions  of  great  concern  at  such  time  as  may  be 
arranged  during  the  annual  session. 

Sec.  4.  The  Committee  on  Publication  shall  consist  of  three  mem- 
bers, of  which  the  Secretary  shall  be  one  and  Chairman,  and  shall 
have  referred  to  it  all  reports  on  scientific  subjects,  and  all  scien- 
tific papers  and  discussions  heard  before  the  Society.  It  shall  be 
empowered  to  curtail  or  abstract  papers  and  discussions,  and  any 
paper  referred  to  it  which  may  not  be  suitable  for  publication  in 
the  Transactions  may  be  returned  to  the  author.  The  Committee 
shall  have  authority  to  arrange  for  the  publication  and  distribution 
of  the  Transactions  after  receiving  competitive  bids,  and  shall 
use  diligence  in  getting  them  into  the  hands  of  the  members.  All 
papers  read  before  the  Society  shall  be  the  property  of  the  Society. 

Sec.  5.  The  Committee  on  Nominations  shall  be  appointed  and 
perform  its  duties  in  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  chapter  5, 
section  2,  of  these  By-Laws.  They  shall  also  nominate  an  Orator, 
an  Essayist,  a  Leader  of  Debate,  a  Committee  on  Scientific  Work, 
a  Conimittee  on  Public  Policy  and  Legislation,  a  Committee  on 
Publication,  a  Committee  on  Obituaries,  a  Committee  on  Finance, 
one  member  of  the  Committee  of  Arrangements,  Delegates  to  the 
American  Medical  Association,  the  Virginia  Medical  Society,  the 
South  Carolina  Medical  Association,  and  to  such  other  bodies  as  the 
Society  may  determine.  They  shall  also  each  third  year  nominate 
a  Board  of  ten  Councillors. 

Sec.  6.  The  Committee  on  Finance,  to  consist  of  three  members, 
shall  examine  the  accounts  of  the  Treasurer  and  report  to  the 
Society,  making  suggestions  as  to  the  amount  of  assessments  for  the 
coming  year,  the  remuneration  of  the  Secretary  and  the  Treasurer, 
and  such  other  suggestions  concerning  the  finances  of  the  Society 
as  they  may  think  proper.  The  Committee  on  Obituaries  to  con- 
sist of  three  members,  shall  report  to  the  General  Meeting  of  the 
Society  the  names  of  all  members  dying  during  the  past  year,  with 
other  data  appropriate  for  memorial  publication. 


19 

Sec.  7.  The  Committee  of  Arrangements  shall  consist  of  one 
member  elected  by  the  House  of  Delegates  each  year,  and  two  mem- 
bers elected  by  the  county  Society  in  the  territory  in  which  the 
annual  session  is  to  be  held.  It  shall,  by  committees  of  its  own 
selection,  provide  suitable  accommodations  for  the  meeting  places 
of  the  Society  and  of  the  House  of  Delegates,  the  Board  of 
Medical  Examiners,  and  of  their  respective  committees,  and  shall 
have  general  charge  of  all  the  arrangements.  Its  Chairman  shall 
report  an  outline  of  the  arrangements  to  the  Secretary  for  publica- 
tion in  the  program,  and  shall  make  additional  announcements  dur- 
ing the  session  as  occasion  may  require. 

CHAPTER  X. — Of  the  Sections  and  Voluntary  Communications. 

Section  1.  The  newly  installed  President  shall,  at  the  last  ses- 
sion of  each  meeting,  appoint  a  member  to  serve  as  Chairman  of 
each  of  the  following  sections,  to-wit:  Anatomy  and  Surgery,  Materia 
Medica  and  Therapeutics,  Practice  of  Medicine,  Physiology  and 
Chemistry,  Obstetrics,  Gynaecology,  Medical  Jurisprudence  and  State 
Medicine,  Pathology  and  Microscopy,  and  Railway  Surgery. 

Sec.  2.  At  any  time  after  the  meeting  the  Chairman  of  each  sec- 
tion may  appoint  three  such  members  as  he  may  select  as  his 
assistants  to  work  up  such  items  as  he  may  designate,  confining  him- 
self to  the  general  advancement  in  his  section. 

Sec.  3.  The  Chairmen  of  sections  shall  send  in  to  the  Secretary, 
not  later  than  thirty  days  previous  to  each  meeting  of  the  Society, 
the  titles  of  papers  to  be  presented  by  themselves  and  their  assist- 
ants, to  be  used  by  the  Committee  on  Scientific  Work  in  making  a 
programme  for  the  meeting. 

Sec.  4.  No  paper  shall  be  read  before  the  Society  unless  the 
author  be  present,  unless  his  absence  be  due  to  some  unavoidable 
circumstance.  A  paper  presented  by  proxy  may  be  referred  to  the 
Committee  ou  Publication. 

Sec.  5.  No  paper  shall  be  referred  to  the  Committee  on  Publica- 
tion until  it  has  been  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  Secretary;  and  the 
Secretary  shall  not  return  any  paper  accepted  by  the  Society  with- 
out the  consent  of  the  Society,  and  then  he  shall  take  a  receipt  for 
the  same. 

Sec.  6.  No  paper  shall  be  received  by  or  read  before  this  Society 
that  has  been  presented  to  any  other  Society,  excepting  only  a  com- 
ponent Society  of  this  Society,  or  that  has  been  offered  for  publi- 
cation ir  any  journal;  and  in  the  case  of  any  paper  accepted  the 
author  is  supposed  to  have  invested  with  the  Society  all  rights  to 
its  ownership. 

Sec.  7.  No  paper  shall  be  published  in  the  Transactions  of  this 
Society  unless  approved  by  the  Committee  on  Publication;  and  any 
paper  rejected  by  said  committee  shall  be  returned  to  the  author 
through  the  Secretary  of  the  Society. 


20 

Sec.  8.  It  is  to  be  understood  that  the  Society  is  not  to  be  con- 
sidered as  endorsing  all  the  views  and  opinions  advanced  by  the 
authors  of  papers  published  in  the  Transactions  of  the  Society. 

CHAPTER  XI. — Assessments  and  Expenditures. 

Section  1.  An  assessment  of  two  dollars  per  capita  on  the  mem- 
bership of  the  component  societies  is  hereby  made  the  annual  dues 
of  this  Society,  which  amount  shall  be  collected  by  the  Secretary  of 
each  county  society  from  each  of  its  members  on  or  before  the  first 
day  of  March  and  forwarded  to  the  Treasurer  of  the  State  Society 
before  the  first  day  of  April  in  each  year.  The  Secretary  of  each. 
county  society  shall  forward  a  statement  of  its  assessment,  together 
with  its  roster  of  all  officers  and  members,  list  of  delegates  and  list 
of  non-affiliated  physicians  of  the  county,  to  the  Secretary  of  this 
Society  on  or  before  the  first  day  of  April  in  each  year. 

Sec.  2.  Any  county  society  which  fails  to  pay  its  assessment,  or 
make  the  reports  required,  on  or  before  the  date  above  stated,  shall 
be  held  as  suspended,  and  none  of  its  members  or  delegates  shall  be 
permitted  to  participate  in  any  of  the  business  or  proceedings  of 
the  State  Society  or  of  the  House  of  Delegates,  or  receive  the  volume 
of  Transactions,  until  such  requirements  have  been  met. 

Sec.  3.  All  motions  or  resolutions  appropriating  money  shall 
specify  a  definite  amount,  or  so  much  thereof  as  may  be  necessary 
for  the  purpose  indicated,  and  must  be  approved  by  the  Council  and 
House  of  Delegates  on  a  call  of  the  ayes  and  noes. 

CHAPTER  XII.— Rules  of  Conduct. 

The  principles  set  forth  in  the  Declaration  of  Principles  of  Medi- 
cal Ethics  of  the  American  Medical  Association  shall  govern  the 
conduct  of  members  in  their  relations  to  each  other  and  to  the 
public. 

CHAPTER  XIII.— Rules  of  Order. 

The  deliberations  of  this  Society  shall  be  governed  by  parlia- 
mentary usage  as  contained  in  Robert's  Rules  of  Order,  unless  other- 
wise  determined  by  a  vote  of  its  respective  bodies. 

CHAPTER  XIV.— County  Societies. 

Section  1.  All  county  societies  now  in  affiliation  with  the  State 
Society,  or  those  that  may  hereafter  be  organized  in  this  State, 
which  have  adopted  principles  of  organization  not  in  conflict  with 
this  Constitution  and  By-Laws,  shall,  upon  application  to  the 
House  of  Delegates,  irteive  a  charter  from  and  become  a  component 
part  of  this  Society. 


21 

Sec.  2.  As  rapidly  as  can  be  done  after  the  adoption  of  this  Con- 
stitution and  By-Laws,  a  medical  society  shall  be  organized  in 
every  county  in  the  State  in  which  no  component  society  exists,  and 
charters  shall  be  issued  thereto. 

Sec.  3.  Charters  shall  be  issued  only  upon  approval  of  the  House 
of  Delegates,  and  shall  be  signed  by  the  President  and  Secretary 
of  this  Society.  The  House  of  Delegates  shall  have  authority  to 
revoke  the  charter  of  any  component  county  society  whose  actions 
are  in  conflict  with  the  letter  or  spirit  of  this  Constitution  and  By- 
Laws. 

Sec.  4.  Only  one  component  medical  society  shall  be  chartered 
in  any  county.  Where  more  than  one  county  society  exists,  friendly 
overtures  and  concessions  shall  be  made,  with  the  aid  of  the  coun- 
cillor for  the  district,  if  necessary,  and  all  of  the  members  brought 
into  one  organization.  In  case  of  failure  to  unite,  an  appeal  may  be 
made  to  the  council,  which  shall  decide  what  action  shall  be  taken. 

Sec.  5.  Each  county  society  shall  judge  of  the  qualification  of  its 
own  members,  but,  as  such  societies  are  the  only  portals  to  this 
Society  and  to  the  American  Medical  Association,  every  reputable 
and  legally  registered  physician  who  is  practicing,  or  who  will 
agree  to  practice,  non-sectarian  medicine,  shall  be  entitled  to  mem- 
bership. Before  a  charter  is  issued  to  any  county  society,  full  and 
ample  notice  and  opportunity  shall  be  given  to  every  such  physician 
in  the  county  to  become  a  member. 

Sec.  6.  Any  physician  who  may  feel  aggrieved  by  the  action  of 
the  society  of  his  county  in  refusing  him  membership,  or  in  sus- 
pending or  expelling  him,  shall  have  the  right  of  appeal  to  the 
Council  and  to  the  House  of  Delegates. 

Sec.  7.  In  hearing  appeals  the  Council  may  admit  oral  or  written 
evidence,  as  in  its  judgment  will  best  and  most  fairly  present  the 
facts,  but  in  case  of  every  appeal,  both  as  a  board  and  as  individual 
councillors  in  district  and  county  work,  efforts  at  conciliation  and 
compromise  shall  precede  all  such  hearings. 

Sec.  8.  When  a  member  in  good  standing  in  a  component  society 
moves  to  another  county  in  this  State,  his  name,  upon  request,  shall 
be  transferred  without  cost  to  the  roster  of  the  county  society  into 
whose  jurisdiction  he  moves. 

Sec.  9.  A  physician  living  on  or  near  a  county  line  may  hold 
his  membership  in  that  county  most  convenient  for  him  to  attend, 
on  permission  of  the  society  in  whose  jurisdiction  he  resides. 

Sec.  10.  Each  county  society  shall  have  general  direction  of  the 
affairs  of  the  profession  in  the  county,  and  its  influence  shall  be 
constantly  exerted  for  bettering  the  scientific,  moral  and  material 
condition  of  every  physician  in  the  county;  and  systematic  efforts 
«.hall  be  made  by  each  member,  and  by  the  society  as  a  whole,  to 
increase  the  membership  until  it  embraces  every  qualified  pb^sician 
in  the  county. 


22 

Sec.  11.  Frequent  meetings  shall  be  encouraged,  and  the  most 
attractive  programs  arranged  that  are  possible.  The  younger  mem- 
bers shall  be  especially  encouraged  to  do  postgraduate  and  original 
research  work,  and  to  give  the  society  the  first  benefit  of  such 
labors.  Official  position  and  other  preferments  shall  be  unstintingly 
given  to  such  members. 

Sec.  12.  At  some  meeting  in  advance  of  the  annual  session  of 
this  Society  prior  to  the  first  day  of  April,  each  county  society  shall 
elect  a  delegate  or  delegates  with  alternates,  to  represent  it  in  the 
House  of  Delegates  of  this  Society  in  the  proportion  of  one  delegate 
to  each  twenty-five  members  or  major  fraction  thereof,  and  the  secre- 
tary of  the  society  shall  send  a  list  of  such  delegates  with  alternates 
to  the  Secretary  of  this  Society  at  least  ten  days  before  the  annual 
sessions. 

Sec.  13.  The  secretary  of  each  county  society  shall  keep  a  roster  of 
its  members,  and  a  list  of  the  non-affiliated  registered  physicians  of 
the  county,  in  which  shall  be  shown  the  full  name,  address,  college 
and  date  of  graduation,  date  of  license  to  practice  in  this  State,  and 
such  other  information  as  may  be  deemed  necessary.  He  shall  fur- 
nish an  official  report  containing  such  information,  upon  blanks 
supplied  him'  for  the  purpose,  to  the  Secretary  of  this  Society 
before  the  first  day  of  April  in  each  year,  and  at  the  same  time 
that  the  dues  accruing  from  the  annual  assessment  are  sent  in. 
In  keeping  such  roster,  the  secretary  shall  note  any  changes  in 
the  personnel  of  the  profession  by  death,  or  by  removal  to  or  from 
the  county,  and  in  making  his  annual  report  he  shall  be  certain  to 
account  for  every  physician  who  has  lived  in  the  county  during  the 
year. 

CHAPTER  XV.— Order  of  Business. 

Section  1.     General  Meetings. 

The  President,  or,  in  his  absence,  one  of  the  Vice-Presidents,  in 
the  order  of  their  rank,  shall  call  the  Society  to  order,  or  in  the 
absence  of  all  these  officers,  a  presiding  officer  shall  be  chosen  by  a 
majority  of  the  members  present. 

Address  of  Welcome.     Response. 

Any  business  requiring  early  attention  may  be  introduced  by  per- 
mission and  without  discussion  referred  to  the  Council,  the  House 
of  Delegates,  or  the  appropriate  committee. 

The  President's  Address. 

Reports  of  Committees. 

Reports  from  the  House  of  Delegates. 

Reports  from  the  Council. 

Written  communications  upon  medical  subjects  may  be  read  and 
discussed.  This  shall  include  reports  from  sections  as  arranged 
each  year  by  the  programme. 

The  Annual  Oration. 

The  Annual  Essay. 


23 

The  Annual  Debate. 

Oral  Communications  and  Clinical  Reports  read  and  discussed. 

Final  Reports  from  the  Council. 

Final  Reports  from  the  House  of  Delegates. 

Final  Reports  from  Committees. 

Report  to  the  General  Meeting  from  the  House  of  Delegates  ap- 
pointing the  time  and  place  of  next  session. 

Report  from  the  House  of  Delegates  of  the  Election  of  Officers 
and  Committes. 

Appointment  of  Chairmen  of  Sections  by  President. 

Adjournment. 

Sec.  2.     The  House  of  Delegates. 

The  President,  or  in  his  absence,  one  of  the  Vice  Presidents  in  the 
order  of  their  rank,  shall  call  the  Society  to  order,  or  in  the  absence 
of  all  these  officers  a  presiding  officer  shall  be  chosen  by  a  majority 
of  the  members  present. 

Roll-call. 

The  President's  Message. 

Report  of  Committee  on  Credentials. 

Reports  of  Committees. 

Reports  of  Officers. 

Reports  of  the  Council. 

Communications  from  the  General  Meeting  of  the  Society. 

Reports  from  the  County  Societies. 

Appointment  of  Committee  on  Nominations. 

New  Business. 

General  Discussion  of  Measures  for  the  Advancement  of  the  Pro- 
fession. 

Reports  of  Committees. 

Election  of  Officers  and  Committees. 

Selection  of  Place  and  Time  of  Next  Meeting. 

Unfinished   Business. 

Adjournment. 

(While  there  may  at  times  appropriately  be  a  variation  from 
the  details  of  the  above  outline  of  business  procedure,  it  is  the 
intention  of  these  By-Laws  to  so  arrange  that  the  work  other  than 
the  purely  scientific  part  of  the  Society's  proceedings  be  done  in  the 
Council  and  House  of  Delegates,  and  the  general  meetings  of  the 
Society  be  devoted  exclusively  to  scientific  work.) 

CHAPTER  XVI. — Amendments. 
These  By-Laws  may  be  amended  at  any  annual  session  by  a  ma- 
jority vote  of  all  the  delegates  present  at  that  session,  after  th9 
amendment  has  laid  upon  the  table  for  one  day. 


24 


(Extract  from  the  proceedings  of  the  American  Medical  Associa- 
tion at  the  annual  session  in  New  Orleans  May,  1903.) 

Report  of  the  Committee  on  Medical  Ethics. 


Dr.  E.  Eliot  Harris,  New  York,  read  the  following  report: 

To  the  President  and  Members  of  the  House  of  Delegates  of  the 
American  Medical  Association : 

Your  enlarged  Committee  on  Medical  Ethics,  consisting  of  the 
Special  committee  and  one  delegate  from  each  State,  have  unani- 
mously adopted  the  following  report,  entitled  the  "Principles  of 
Medical  Ethics  of  the  American  Medical  Association,"  which  is  here- 
with submitted. 

The  following  report  of  the  Special  Committee  shall  be  printed 
as  an  explanatory  preface  to  the  Principles  of  Medical  Ethics  of  the 
American  Medical  Association: 

Gentlemen- — Your  committee  has  given  extended  and  careful 
thought  to  the  proposed  revision  of  the  Code  of  Medical  Ethics 
referred  to  it  for  consideration.  As  you  will  note  on  reference  to 
the  caption  of  the  report  the  word  "code"  has  been  eliminated  and 
the  expression  "Principles  of  Medical  Ethics  of  the  American  Medi- 
cal Association"  adopted  as  adequately  descriptive.  In  reference 
to  this  change,  it  is  proper  to  say  that  such  action  on  its  part  is 
based  on  the  idea  that  the  American  Medical  Association  may  be 
conceived  to  occupy  some  such  relation  to  the  constituent  State 
associations  as  the  United  States,  through  its  Constitution,  holds 
to  the  several  States.  The  committee,  for  this  reason,  regards  it 
as  wiser  to  formulate  the  principles  of  medical  ethics  without  defi- 
nite reference  to  "code"  or  penalties,  thus  leaving  the  respective 
States  to  form  such  code,  and  establish  such  rules  as  they  may 
regard  to  be  fitting  and  proper,  for  regulating  the  professional  con- 
duct of  their  members,  provided,  of  course,  that  in  doing  so  there 
shall  be  no  infringement  on  the  •  established  ethical  principles  of 
this  Association.  The  committee  regard  as  wise  and  well  intended 
to  facilitate  the  business  of  the  parent  or  organization  and  promote 
its  harmony  this  course,  which  leaves  to  the  State  association  large 
discretionary  powers  concerning  membership  and  other  admittedly 
State  affairs.  Your  committee  has  retained,  to  a  large  extent,  the 
phraseology  of  the  existing  code,  while  aiming  at  condensation  of 
expression  and  a  better  understanding  of  some  of  its  statements. 
The  report  of  the  committee  has  been  reached  unanimously,  without 
dissention  or  distrust  on  the  part  of  its  members,  each  aiming  to 
formulate  a  result  based  on  principle  alone,  and  without  regard  to 


25 

any  past  or  present  disagreements   or  misunderstandings   whatso- 
ever;   such  being  the  case,  the  committee  invites  your  candid  and 
unprejudiced  attention  to  the  results  ot  its  labor,  feeling  that  at 
least  some  good  has  been  accomplished. 
Respectfully  submitted, 

E.  Eliot  Harris,  Chairman, 
William  H.  Welch, 
T.   J.   Happel. 
Joseph  D.  Bryant. 
The  report  of  the  committee  was  unanimously  adopted. 


CHAPTER  XII.— RULES  OF  CONDUCT. 

"The  principles  set  forth  in  the  Declaration  of  Principles  of  Medi- 
cal Ethics  of  the  American  Medical  Association  shall  govern  the 
conduct  of  members  in  their  relations  to  each  other  and  to  the 
public." — Constitution  and  By-Laws  Medical  Society  of  the  State  of 
North  Carolina,  adopted  at  Hot  Springs,  N.  C,  June  2,  1903. 


Principles  of  Medical  Ethics. 


(Adopted  at  the  annual  session  in  New  Orleans,  May,  1903.) 

The  American  Medical  Association  promulgates  as  a  suggestive 
and  advisory  document  the  following: 

Chapter  I. — The  Duties  of  Physicians  to  Their  Patients. 

Section  1.  Physicians  should  not  only  be  ever  ready  to  obey  the 
calls  of  the  sick  and  the  injured,  but  should  be  mindful  of  the  high 
character  of  their  mission  and  of  the  responsibilities  they  must 
incur  in  the  discharge  of  momentous  duties.  In  their  ministrations 
they  should  never  forget  that  the  comfort,  the  health  and  the  lives  of 
those  intrusted  to  their  care  depend  on  skill,  attention  and  fidelity. 
In  deportment  they  should  unite  tenderness,  cheerfulness  and  firm- 
ness, and  thus  inspire  all  sufferers  with  gratitude,  respect  and  con- 
fidence. These  observances  are  the  more  sacred  because,  generally, 
the  only  tribunal  to  adjudge  penalties  for  unkindness,  carelessness 
or  neglect  is  their  own  conscience. 

Sec.  2.  Every  patient  committed  to  the  charge  of  a  physician 
should  be  treated  with  attention  and  humanity,  and  reasonable 
indulgence  should  be  granted  to  the  caprices  of  the  sick.  Secrecy 
and  delicacy  should  be  strictly  observed;  and  the  familiar  and  con- 
fidential intercourse  to  which  physicians  are  admitted,  in  their 
professional  visits,  should  be  guarded  with  the  most  scrupulous 
fidelity  and  honor. 


26 

Sec.  3.  The  obligation  of  secrecy  extends  beyond  the  period  of 
professional  services;  none  of  the  privacies  of  individual  or  domes- 
tic life,  no  infirmity  of  disposition,  or  flaw  of  character  observed 
during  medical  attendance  should  ever  be  divulged  by  physicians, 
except  when,  imperatively  required  by  the  laws  of  the  State.  The 
force  of  the  obligation  of  secrecy  is  so  great  that  physicians  have 
been  protected  in  its  observance  by  courts  of  justice. 

Sec.  4.  Frequent  visits  to  the  sick  are  often  requisite,  since  they 
enable  the  physician  to  arrive  at  a  more  perfect  knowledge  of  the 
disease,  and  to  meet  promptly  every  change  which  may  occur. 
Unnecessary  visits  are  to  be  avoided,  as  they  give  undue  anxiety 
to  the  patient;  but  to  secure  the  patient  against  irritating  suspense 
and  disappointment  the  regular  and  periodical  visits  of  the  physi- 
cian should  he  made  as  nearly  as  possible  at  the  hour  when  they 
may  be  reasonably  expected  by  the  patient. 

Sec.  5.  Ordinarily,  the  physician  should  not  be  forward  to  make 
gloomy  prognostications,  but  should  not  fail,  on  proper  occasions, 
to  give  timely  notice  of  dangerous  manifestations  to  the  friends 
of  the  patient,  anu  even  to  the  patient,  if  absolutely  necessary.  This 
notice,  however,  is  at  times  so  peculiarly  alarming  when  given  by  the 
physician  that  its  deliverance  may  often  be  preferably  assigned  to 
another  person  of  good  judgment. 

Sec.  6.  The  physician  should  be  a  minister  of  hope  and  comfort 
to  the  sick,  since  life  may  be  lengthened  or  shortened  not  only  by 
the  acts  but  by  the  words  or  manner  of  the  physician,  whose  solemn 
duty  is  to  avoid  all  utterances  and  actions  having  a  tendency  to 
discourage  and  depress  the  patient. 

Sec.  7.  The  medical  attendant  ought  not  to  abandon  a  patient 
because  deemed  incurable,  for  continued  attention  may  be  highly 
useful  to  the  suffeier  and  comforting  to  the  relatives,  even  in  the 
last  period  of  the  fatal  malady  by  alleviating  pain  and  by  soothing 
mental  anguish. 

Sec.  8.  The  opportunity  which  a  physician  has  of  promoting  and 
strengthening  the  good  resolutions  of  patients  suffering  under  the 
consequences  of  evil  conduct  ought  never  to  be  neglected.  Good 
counsels,  or  even  remonstrances,  will  give  satisfaction,  not  offense, 
if  they  be  tactfully  proffered  and  evince  a  genuine  love  of  virtue, 
accompanied  by  a  sincere  interest  in  the  welfare  of  the  person  to 
whom  they  are  addressed. 

Chapter  II. — The  Duties  of  Physicians  to  Each  Other  and  to 
the  Profession-  at  Large. 

article  i. — duties  for  the  support  of  professional  characteb. 
Section  1.  Every  one,  on  entering  the  profession,  and  thereby  be- 
coming entitled  to  full  professional  fellowship,  incurs  an  obligation 


27 

to  uphold  its  dignity  and  honor,  to  exalt  its  standing  and  to  extend 
the  bounds  of  its  usefulness.  It  is  inconsistent  with  the  principles 
of  medical  science  and  it  is  incompatible  with  honorable  standing 
in  the  profession  for  physicians  to  designate  theii  practice  as  based 
on  an  exclusive  dogma  or  a  sectarian  system  of  medicine. 

Sec.  2.  The  physician  shoulo  observe  strictly  such  laws  as  are 
instituted  for  the  government  of  the  members  of  the  profession; 
should  honor  the  fraternity  as  a  body;  should  endeavor  to  promote 
the  science  and  art  of  medicine,  and  should  entertain  a  due  respect 
for  those  seniors  who,  by  their  labors,  have  contributed  to  its  ad- 
vancement. 

Sec.  3.  Every  physician  should  identify  himself  with  the  organized 
body  of  his  profession  as  represented  in  the  community  in  which  he 
resides.  The  organization  of  local  or  county  medical  societies,  where 
they  do  not  exist  should  be  effected,  so  far  as  practicable.  Such 
county  societies,  constituting  as  they  do  the  chief  element  of  strength 
in  the  organization  of  the  profession,  should  have  the  active  support 
of  their  members  and  should  be  made  instruments  for  the  cultiva- 
tion of  fellowship,  for  the  exchange  of  professional  experience,  for 
the  advancement  of  medical  knowledge,  for  the  maintenance  of 
ethical  standards,  and  for  the  promotion  in  general  of  the  interests 
of  the  profession  and  the  welfare  of  the  public. 

Sec.  4.  All  county  medical  societies  thus  organized  ought  to  place 
themselves  in  affiliation  with  their  respective  State  associations,  and 
these,  in  turn,  with  the  American  Medical  Association. 

Sec.  5.  There  is  no  profession  from  the  members  of  which  greater 
purity  of  character  and  a  higher  standard  of  metal  excellence  are 
required  than  the  medical;  and  to  attain  such  eminence  is  a  duty 
every  physician  owes  alike  to  the  profession  and  to  patients.  It 
is  due  to  the  patients,  as  without  it  their  respect  and  confidence 
can  not  be  commanded,  and  to  the  profession  because  no  scientific 
attainments  can  compensate  for  the  want  of  correct  moral  prin- 
ciples. 

Sec.  6.  It  is  incumbent  on  physicians  to  be  temperate  in  all  things, 
for  the  practice  of  medicine  requires  the  unremitting  exercise  of 
a  clear  and  vigorous  understanding;  and  in  emergencies — for  which 
no  physician  should  be  unprepared — a  steady  hand,  an  acute  eye 
and  an  unclouded  mind  are  essential  to  the  welfare  and  even  to  the 
life  of  a  human  being. 

Sec.  7.  It  is  incompatible  with  honorable  standing  in  the  profes- 
sion to  resort  to  public  advertisements  or  private  cards  inviting  the 
attention  of  the  persons  affected  with  particular  diseases;  to  promise 
radical  cures;  to  publish  cases  or  operations  in  the  daily  prints,  or 
to  suffer  such  publications  to  be  made;  to  invite  laymen  (other  than 
relatives  who  may  desire  to  be  at  hand)  to  be  present  at  operations; 


to  boast  of  cures  and  remedies;   to  adduce  certificates  of  skill  and 
success,  or  to  employ  any  of  the  other  methods  of  charlatans. 

Sec.  8.  It  is  equally  derogatory  to  professional  character  for  phy- 
sicians to  hold  patents  for  any  surgical  instruments  or  medicines; 
to  accept  rebates  on  prescriptions  or  surgical  appliances;  to  assist 
unqualified  persons  to  evade  the  legal  restrictions  governing  the 
practice  of  medicine;  or  to  dispense,  or  promote  the  use  of  secret 
medicines,  for  if  such  nostrums  are  of  real  efficacy,  any  conceal- 
ment regarding  them  is  inconsistent  with  beneficence  and  profes- 
sional liberality,  and  if  mystery  alone  give  them  public  notoriety, 
such  craft  implies  either  disgraceful  ignorance  or  fraudulent  avarice. 
It  is  highly  reprehensible  for  physicians  to  give  certificates  attest- 
ing the  efficacy  of  secret  medicines,  or  other  substances  used  thera- 
peutically. 

ARTICLE  II. — PROFESSIONAL  SERVICES  OF  PHYSICIANS  TO  EACH  OTHER. 

Section  1.  Physicians  should  not,  as  a  general  rule,  undertake 
the  treatment  of  themselves,  nor  of  members  of  their  family.  In 
such  circumstances,  they  are  peculiarly  dependent  on  each  other; 
therefore,  kind  offices  and  professional  aid  should  always  be  cheer- 
fully and  gratuitously  afforded.  These  visits  ought  not,  however, 
to  be  obtrusively  made,  as  they  may  give  rise  to  embarrassment  or 
interfere  with  that  free  choice  on  which  such  confidence  depends. 

Sec.  2.  All  practicing  physicians  and  their  immediate  family  de- 
pendents are  entitled  to  the  gratuitous  services  of  any  one  or  more 
of  the  physicians  residing  near  them. 

Sec  3.  When  a  physician  is  summoned  from  a  distance  to  the 
bedside  of  a  colleague  in  easy  financial  circumstances,  a  compensa- 
tion, proportionate  to  traveling  expenses  and  to  the  pecuniary  loss 
entailed  by  absence  from  the  accustomed  field  of  professional  labor, 
should  be  made  by  the  patient  or  relatives. 

Sec  4.  When  more  than  one  physician  is  attending  another,  one 
of  the  number  should  take  charge  of  the  case,  otherwise  the  concert 
of  thought  and  action  so  essential  to  wise  treatment  can  not  be 
assured. 

Sec  5.  The  affairs  of  life,  the  pursuit  of  health  and  the  various 
accidents  and  contingencies  to  which  a  physician  is  peculiarly  ex- 
posed sometimes  require  the  temporary  withdrawal  of  this  physi- 
cian from  daily  professional  labor  and  the  appointment  of  a  col- 
league to  act  for  a  specified  time.  The  colleague's  compliance  is 
an  act  of  courtesy  which  should  always  be  performed  with  the 
utmost  consideration  for  the  interest  and  character  of  the  family 

•UBpiSAqd 


29 


ARTICLE  III. — THE  DUTIES  OF  PHYSICIANS   IN   REGARD   TO    CONSULTATIONS. 

Section  1.  The  broadest  dictates  of  humanity  should  be  obeyed 
by  physicians  whenever  and  wherever  their  services  are  needed  to 
meet  the  emergencies  of  disease  or  accident. 

Sec.  2.  Consultations  should  be  promoted  in  difficult  cases,  as  they 
contribute  to  confidence  and  more  enlarged  views  of  practice. 

Sec  3.  The  utmost  punctuality  should  be  observed  in  the  visits 
of  physicians  when  they  are  to  hold  consultations,  and  this  is  gener- 
ally practicable,  for  society  has  been  so  considerate  as  to  allow  the 
plea  of  a  professional  engagement  to  take  precedence  over  all  others. 

Sec.  4.  As  professional  engagements  may  sometimes  cause  delay 
In  attendance,  the  physician  who  first  arrives  should  wait  for  a  rea- 
sonable time,  after  which  the  consultation  should  be  considered  as 
postponed  to  a  new  appointment. 

Sec.  5.  In  consultations  no  insincerity,  rivalry  or  envy  should  be 
indulged  in;  candor,  probity  and  all  due  respect  should  be  observed 
toward  the  physician  in  charge  of  the  case. 

Sec.  6.  No  statement  or  discussion  of  the  case  should  take  place 
before  the  patient  or  friends,  except  in  the  presence  of  all  the  physi- 
cians attending,  or  by  their  common  consent:  and  no  opinions  or 
prognostications  should  be  delivered  which  were  not  the  result  of 
previous  deliberation  and  concurrence. 

Sec.  7.  No  decision  should  restrain  the  attending  physician  from 
making  such  consequent  variations  in  the  mode  of  treatment  as  any 
unexpected  change  in  the  character  of  the  case  may  demand.  But  at 
the  next  consultation  reasons  for  the  variations  should  be  stated. 
The  same  privilege,  with  its  obligation,  belongs  to  the  consultant 
when  sent  for  in  an  emergency  during  the  absence  of  the  family 
physician. 

Sec.  8.  The  attending  physician  at  any  time  may  prescribe  for 
the  patient;  not  so  the  consultant,  when  alone,  except  in  a  case  of 
emergency  or  when  called  from  a  considerable  distance.  In  the  first 
instance  the  consultant  should  do  what  is  needed,  and  in  the  second 
should  do  no  more  than  make  an  examination  of  the  patient,  and 
leave  a  written  opinion,  under  seal,  to  be  delivered  to  the  attending 
physician. 

Sec  9.  All  discussions  in  consultation  should  be  held  as  confi- 
dential. Neither  by  words  nor  by  manner  should  any  of  the  par- 
ticipants in  a  consultation  assert  or  intimate  that  any  part  of  the 
treatment  pursued  did  not  receive  his  assent. 

Sec  10.  It  may  happen  that  two  physicians  can  not  agree  in  their 
views  of  the  nature  of  a  case  and  of  the  treatment  to  he  pursued.  In 
the  event  of  such  disagreemnt  a  third  physician  should,  if  practi- 
cable, be  called  in.  None  but  the  rarest  and  m'ost  exceptional  cir- 
cumstances would  justify  the  consultant  in  taking  charge  of  the 


30 

case.     il>'  should  not  do  so  merely  on  the  solicitation  of  the  patient 
or  friends. 

Sec.  11.  A  physician  who  is  called  in  consultation  should  observe 
the  most  honorable  and  scrupulous  regard  for  the  character  and 
standing  of  the  attending  physician,  whose  conduct  of  the  case 
should  be  justified,  as  far  as  can  be,  consistently  with  the  conscien- 
tious regard  for  truth,  and  no  hint  or  insinuation  should  be  thrown 
out  which  could  impair  the  confidence  reposed  in  the  attending 
physician. 

ABTIOI.E   IV. — DUTIES  OF  PHYSICIANS  IN   CASES  OF  INTERFERENCE. 

Section  1.  Medicine  being  a  liberal  profession,  those  admitted  to 
its  ranks  should  found  their  expectations  of  practice  especially  on 
the  character  and  the  extent  of  their  medical  education. 

Skc  2.  1  ae  physician,  in  his  intercourse  with  a  patient  under  the 
care  of  another  physician,  should  observe  the  strictest  caution  and  , 
reserve;  should  give  no  dismgenious  hints  relative  to  the  nature 
and  treatment  of  the  patient's  disorder,  nor  should  the  course  of 
conduct  of  the  physician,  directly  or  indirectly,  tend  to  diminish  the 
trust  reposed  in  the  attending  physician. 

Sec  ."..  The  same  circumspection  should  be  observed  when,  from 
motives  of  business  or  friendship,  a  physician  is  prompted  to  visit 
a  person  who  is  under  the  direction  of  another  physician.  Indeed, 
such  visits  should  be  avoided,  except  under  peculiar  circumstances; 
and  when  they  are  made,  no  inquiries  should  be  instituted  relative 
to  the  nature  of  the  disease,  or  the  remedies  employed,  but  the  topics 
of  conversation  should  be  as  foreign  to  the  case  as  circumstances 
will  admit. 

Sec.  4.  A  physician  ought  not  to  take  charge  of.  or  prescribe  for, 
a  patient  who  has  recently  been  under  the  care  of  another  physician, 
in  the  same  illness,  except  in  case  of  a  sudden  emergency  or  in  con- 
sultation with  the  physician  previously  in  attendance,  or  when  that 
physician  has  relinquished  the  case  or  has  been  dismissed  in  due 
form. 

Sec.  5.  The  physician  acting  in  conformity  with  the  preceding  sec- 
tion should  not  make  damaging  insinuations  regarding  the  practice 
previously  adopted,  and.  indeed,  should  justify  it  if  consistent  with 
truth  and  probity:  for  it  often  happens  that  patients  become  dis- 
satisfied when  they  are  not  immediately  relieved,  and,  as  many 
diseases  are  naturally  protracted,  the  seeming  want  of  success,  in 
the  first  stage  of  treatment,  affords  no  evidence  of  a  lack  of  profes- 
sional knowledge  and  skill. 

Sec.  K.  When  a  physician  is  called  to  an  urgent  case,  because  the 
family  attendant  is  not  at  hand,  unless  assistance  in  consultation  is 
desired,  the  former  should  resign  the  care  of  the  patient  immediately 
on  the  arrival  of  the  family  physician. 


31 

Sec.  7.  It  often  happens,  in  cases  of  sudden  illness,  and  of  accidents 
and  injuries,  owing  to  the  alarm  and  anxiety  of  friends,  that  sev- 
eral physicians  are  simultaneously  summoned.  Under  these  circum- 
stances, courtesy  should  assign  the  patient  to  the  first  who  arrives 
and  who,  if  necessary,  may  invoke  the  aid  of  some  of  those  present. 
In  such  a  case,  however,  the  acting  physician  should  request  that  the 
family  physician  be  called,  and  should  withdraw  unless  requested 
to  continue  in  attendance. 

Sec.  8.  Whenever  a  physician  is  called  to  the  patient  of  another 
physician  during  the  enforced  absence  of  that  physician,  the  case 
should  be  relinquished  on  the  return  of  the  latter. 

Sec.  9.  A  physician,  while  visiting  a  sick  person  in  the  country, 
may  be  asked  to  see  another  physician's  patient  because  of  a  sudden 
aggravation  of  the  disease.  On  such  an  occasion  the  immediate 
needs  of  the  patient  should  be  attended  to  and  the  case  relinquished 
on  the  arrival  of  the  attending  physician. 

Sec.  10.  When  a  physician  who  has  been  engaged  to  attend  an 
obstetric  case  is  absent,  and  another  is  sent  for,  delivery  being 
accomplished  during  the  vicarious  attendance,  the  acting  physician 
is  entitled  to  the  professional  fee,  but  must  resign  the  patient  on 
the  arrival  of  ..ae  physician  first  engaged. 

ARTICLE  V. — DIFFERENCES  BETWEEN  PHYSICIANS. 

Section  1.  Diversity  of  opinion  and  opposition  of  interest  may,  in 
the  medical  as  in  other  professions,  sometimes  occasion  controversy 
and  even  contention.  Whenever  such  unfortunate  cases  occur  and 
can  not  be  immediately  adjusted,  they  should  be  referred  to  the 
arbitration  of  a  sufficient  number  of  impartial  physicians. 

Sec.  2.  A  peculiar  reserve  must  be  maintained  by  physicians 
toward  the  public  in  regard  to  some  professional  questions,  and  as 
there  exist  many  points  in  medical  ethics  and  etiquette  through 
which  the  feelings  of  physicians  may  be  painfully  assailed  in  their 
intercourse,  and  which  can  not  be  understood  or  appreciated  by  gen- 
eral society,  neither  the  subject-matter  of  their  differences  nor  the 
adjudication  o.  the  arbitrators  should  be  made  public. 

ARTICLE    VI. COMPENSATION. 

Section  1.  By  the  members  of  no  profession  are  eleemosynary  ser- 
vices more  liberally  dispensed  than  by  the  medical,  but  justice 
requires  that  some  limits  should  be  placed  to  their  performance. 
Poverty,  mutual  professional  obligations  and  certain  of  the  public 
duties  named  in  Sections  1  and  2  of  Chapter  III,  should  always  be 
recognized  as  presenting  valid  claims  for  gratuitous  services;  but 
neither  institutions  endowed  by  the  public  or  by  the  rich,  or  by 
societies   for   mutual    benefit,    for   life   insurance,    or   for   analogous 


32 

purposes,  nor  any  profession  or  occupation,  can  be  admitted  to  pos- 
sess such  privilege. 

Sec.  2.  It  can  not  be  justly  expected  of  physicians  to  furnish  cer- 
tificates of  inability  to  serve  on  juries,  or  to  perform  militia  duty; 
to  testify  to  the  state  of  health  of  persons  wishing  to  insure  their 
lives,  obtain  pensions,  or  the  like,  without  due  compensation.  But 
to  persons  in  indigent  circumstances  such  services  should  always 
be  cheerfully  and  freely  accorded. 

Sec.  3.  Some  general  rules  should  be  adopted  by  the  physicians 
in  every  town  or  district  relative  to  the  minimum  pecuniary  acknowl- 
edgment from  their  patients;  and  ic  should  he  deemed  a  point  of 
honor  to  adhere  to  these  rules  with  as  much  uniformity  as  varying 
circumstances  will  admit. 

Sec.  4.  It  is  derogatory  to  professional  character  for  physicians 
to  pay  or  offer  to  pay  commissions  to  any  person  whatsoever  who 
may  recommend  to  them  patients  requiring  general  or  special  treat- 
ment or  surgical  operations.  It  is  equally  derogatory  to  profes- 
sional character  for  physicians  to  solicit  or  to  receive  such  com- 
missions. 

Chapter  III. — The  Duties  or  the  Profession  to  the  Public. 

Section  1.  As  good  citizens  it  is  the  duty  of  physicans  to  be  very 
vigilant  for  the  welfare  of  the  community,  and  to  bear  their  part 
in  sustaining  its  laws,  institutions  and  burdens;  especially  should 
they  be  ready  to  cooperate  with  the  proper  authorities  in  the  admin- 
istration and  the  observance  of  sanitary  laws  and  regulations,  and 
they  should  also  be  ever  ready  to  give  counsel  to  the  public  in  rela- 
tion to  subjects  especially  appertaining  to  their  profession,  as  on 
questions  of  sanitary  police,  public  hygiene  and  legal  medicine. 

Sec.  2.  It  is  the  province  of  physicians  to  enlighten  the  public 
in  regard  to  quarantine  regulations;  to  the  location,  arrangement 
and  dietaries  of  hospitals,  asylums,  schools,  prisons  and  similar 
institutions;  in  regard  to  measures  for  the  prevention  of  epidemic 
and  contagious  diseases;  and  when  pestilence  prevails,  it  is  their 
duty  to  face  the  danger,  and  to  continue  their  labors  for  the  allevia- 
tion of  the  suffering  people,  even  at  the  risk  of  their  own  lives. 

Sec.  3.  Physicians,  when  called  on  by  legally  constituted  authori- 
ties, should  always  be  ready  to  enlighten  inquests  and  courts  of 
justice  on  subjects  strictly  medical,  such  as  involve  questions  relat- 
ing to  sanity,  legitimacj',  murder  by  poison  or  other  violent  means, 
and  various  other  subjects  embraced  in  the  science  of  medical  juris- 
prudence. It  is  but  just,  however,  for  them  to  expect  due  compen- 
sation for  their  services. 

Sec.  4.  It  is  the  duty  of  physicians,  who  are  frequent  witnesses 
of  the  great  wrongs  committed  by  charlatans,  and  of  the  injury  to 


33 


health  and  even  destruction  of  life  caused  by  the  use  of  their  treat- 
ment, to  enlighten  the  public  on  these  subjects,  and  to  make  known 
the  injuries  sustained  by  the  unwary  from  the  devices  and  preten- 
sions of  artful  impostors. 

Sec.  5.  It  is  the  duty  of  physicians  to  recognize  and  by  legitimate 
patronage  to  promote  the  profession  of  pharmacy,  on  the  skill  and 
proficiency  of  which  depends  the  reliability  of  remedies,  but  any 
pharmacist  who,  although  educated  in  his  own  profession,  is  not  a 
qualified  physician,  and  who  assumes  to  prescribe  for  the  sick, 
ought  not  to  receive  such  countenance  and  support.  Any  druggist 
or  pharmacist  who  dispenses  deteriorated  or  sophisticated  drugs, 
or  who  substitutes  one  remedy  for  another  designated  in  a  pre- 
scription, ought  thereby  to  forfeit  the  recognition  and  influence  of 
physicians. 


Medical- 


CONSTITUTION  AND  BY-LAWS 


COUNTY  MEDICAL   SOCIETIES. 

(Approved  by  the  Medical  Society  of  the  State  of  North  Carolina  at 
the  annual  session  in  Hot  Springs,  N.  C,  June  2,  1903.) 


Introductory. 


The  Committee  on  Organization  of  the  American  Medical  Associa- 
tion, which  was  continued  at  the  Saratoga  meeting,  herewith  sub- 
mits a  tentative  Constitution  and  By-Laws  for  County  Societies,  and 
in  doing  so  desires  to  say,  that  while  the  provisions  it  contains  are 
deemed  essential  to  good  organization,  some  of  the  provisions  are 
suggestive  and  educational  in  character  and  may  not  be  applicable 
to  every  county  or  section.  In  such  cases  these  may  be  omitted, 
or  others  more  appropriate  substituted  for  them.  In  any  event, 
the  hign  ideals  for  the  individual  physician,  and  the  spirit  of 
courtesy  and  kindness  which  should  govern  him  in  his  dealings 
with  his  professional  neighbors,  are  here  set  forth  for  thought  and 
consideration. 

The  Committee  is  not  a  unit  as  to  whether  there  should  be  charged 
an  admission  fee  as  called  for  in  Section  1,  Chapter  V,  of  the  By- 
Laws,  but  the  majority  of  the  Committee  believes  that  this  is  the 
correct  principle,  for  the  average  individual  does  not  appreciate  that 
which  he  gets  for  nothing,  and  furthermore,  that  if  an  admission 
fee  is  charged  the  individual  will  not  be  as  likely  to  drop  out  of 
the  Society  as  if  he  obtained  his  membership  for  nothing.  The 
Committee  advises,  however,  that  in  organizing  a  County  Society, 
or  before  adopting  the  new  Constitution,  that  the  charter  shall  be 
open  for  all  in  the  county  who  are  eligible  and  admit  such  charter 
members  without  the  admission  fee. 

We  close  this  report  by  making  a  quotation  from  our  report  when 
we  submitted  the  Constitution  and  by-Laws  for  State  Societies: 

Much  in  the  By-Laws  submitted  may  be  regarded  as  "preaching," 
but  it  is  inserted  advisedly,  with  the  sole  object  of  arousing  in  the 
minds  of  each  medical  society  member  a  desire  ior  the  accomplish- 
ment of  greater  ends  than  has  been  permitted  by  the  customs  and 
forms  of  the  past.     The  Committee  earnestly  desires  that  the  State 


36 


committees  will  continue  the  work  of  perfecting  organization,  actu- 
ated by  that  love  for  our  profession  that  its  ideals  demand.  With 
the  medical  profession  well  organized,  medical  science  will  more 
rapidly  step  to  its  appointed  high  place,  and  the  profession  which 
lives  in  its  atmosphere  will  have  that  power  and  respect  in  the  com- 
munity that  is  its  right. 

J.  N.  McCormack,  Bowling  Green,  Ky., 
P.  Maxwell  Fosiiay,  Cleveland,  Ohio, 
George  H.  Simmons.  Chicago,  Illinois, 

Committee. 


37 


Constitution. 


Article  I. — Name  and  Title  of  the  Society. 

The  name  and  title  of  this  organization  shall  be  the County 

Medical  Society. 

Article  II. — Purposes  of  the  Society. 

The  purposes  ot  this  Society  shall  be  to  bring  into  one  organiza- 
tion the  physicians  of county;   so  that  by  frequent  meetings 

and  full  and  frank  interchange  of  views  they  may  secure  such  intel- 
ligent unity  and  harmony  in  every  phase  of  their  labor  as  will 
elevate  and  make  effective  the  opinions  of  the  profession  in  all 
scientific,  legislative,  public  health,  material  and  social  affairs,  to 
the  end  tuat  the  profession  may  receive  that  respect  and  support 
within  its  own  ranks  and  from  the  community  to  which  its  honorable 
history  and  great  achievements  entitle  it;  and  with  other  county 
societies  to  form'  the  Medical  Society  of  the  State  of  North  Carolina, 
and  through  it,  with  other  State  associations,  to  form  and  maintain 
the  American  Medical  Association. 

Article  III. — Eligibility. 

Every  legally  registered  physician  residing  and  practicing  in 

county,  who  is  of  good  moral  and  professional  standing  and  who 
does  not  practice  or  claim  to  practice  sectarian  medicine,  shall  be 
eligible  for  membership. 

Article  IV. — Meetings. 

Regular  meetings  shall  be  held  at  such  time  and  place  as  may  be 
determined  by  the  Society.  Special  meetings  may  be  called  by  the 
President  on  a  written  request  of  five  members.  Calls  for  special 
meetings  shall  state  the  object  of  such  meeting,  and  no  business 
except  that  stated  in  the  call  shall  be  transacted  at  such  meeting. 

Article  V. 

The  officers  of  this  Society  shall  consist  of  a  President,  Vice- 
President,  Secretary,  Treasurer,  Delegates,  and  Board  of  (three) 
Censors.  These  officers,  except  the  Delegates  and  Board  of  Censors, 
shall  be  elected  annually  for  a  term  of  one  year.  Delegates  shall 
be  elected  for  two  years,  or  in  accordance  with  the  Constitution  and 
By-Laws  of  the  State  association.  One  member  of  the  Board  of 
Censors  shall  be  elected  each  year  to  serve  for  three  years,  provided 
that  at  the  first  election  after  the  adoption  of  this  Constitution  one 

Medical 4 


38 


member  of  he  board  shall  be  elected  for  one,  od«  for  two  and  one 
for  three  years. 

Article  VI. — Funds  and  Expenses. 

Funds  for  meeting  the  expenses  of  the  Society  shall  be  raised  by 
admission  fee,  annual  dues,  special  assessments  and  voluntary  con- 
tribution. Funds  may  be  appropriated  by  vote  of  the  Society  for 
such  purposes  as  will  promote  its  welfare  and  that  of  the  profession. 

Article  VII. — Charter. 

The  Society  shall  apply  to  the  State  Society  for  a  charter  at  the 
meeting  at  which  this  Constitution  and  By-Laws  are  adopted,  or  as 
soon  thereafter  as  practicable,  and  the  charter  shall  be  kept  in  the 
custody  of  the  secretary. 

Article  VIII. — Incorporation. 

The  Society  shall  have  authority  to  appoint  a  Board  of  Trustees 
and  to  provide  for  articles  of  incorporation  whenever  it  may  deem 
the  same  necessary. 

Article  IX. — Amendments. 

The  Society  may  amend  any  article  of  this  Constitution  by  a  two- 
thirds  vote  of  its  members  at  any  regular  meeting,  provided  that 
such  amendment  shall  have  been  read  in  open  session  at  a  previous 
regular  meeting  and  shall  have  been  sent  by  mail  to  each  member 
ten  days  in  advance  of  the  meeting  at  which  final  action  is  to  be 
taken. 


By-Laws. 


Chapter  I. — Membership. 

Section  1.  The  Society  shall  judge  of  the  qualification  of  its  mem- 
bers, but  as  it  is  the  only  door  to  the  State  Medical  Society  and  to 
the  American  Medical  Association  for  physicians  within  its  juris- 
diction, every  reputable  and  legally  qualified  physician  in 

county,  who  does  not  practice  or  claim  to  practice  sectarian  medicine, 
shall  be  entitled  to  membership. 

Sec.  2.  A  candidate  for  membership  shall  make  application  in  writ- 
ing, and  shall  state  his  age,  his  college  and  date  of  graduation,  the 
place  in  which  he  has  practiced,  and  the  date  of  registration  in  this 
State.  The  application  must  be  accompanied  by  the  admission  fee, 
and  must  be  endorsed  by  two  members  of  this  Society.  It  shall  be 
referred  to  the  Board  of  Censors,  who  shall  inquire  into  the  standing 


39 

of  the  applicant,  assure  themselves  that  he  or  she  is  duly  registered 
according  to  the  laws  of  the  State,  and  report  at  the  next  regular 
meeting  of  this  Society.  Election  shall  be  by  ballot,  and  two-thirds 
of  the  votes  of  the  members  present  and  voting  shall  be  necessary  to 
elect.  The  application  shall  be  returned  to  the  Secretary,  who  shall 
file  it  for  future  reference.  Applications  for  membership  from  re- 
jected candidates  shall  not  be  received  within  six  months  of  such 
rejection. 

Sec.  3.  A  physician  accompanying  his  application  with  a  transfer 
card  from  another  component  county  society  of  this  or  any  State 
within  sixty  days  of  the  issuance  of  said  card,  may  be  admitted  with- 
out fee  on  a  majority  vote  of  the  members  present,  and  without  the 
application  being  referred  to  the  Board  of  Censors.  Such  applica- 
tions may  be  acted  on  at  the  meeting  at  which  they  are  presented  on 
the  vote  of  three-fourths  of  the  members  present,  otherwise  they  shall 
lie  over  until  the  next  regular  meeting.  No  annual  dues  for  the 
current  year  shall  be  charged  against  such  members,  provided  the 
same  have  been  paid  to  the  society  from  which  the  applicant  comes. 

Sec.  4.  A  physician  residing  in  an  immediately  adjoining  county 
may  become  a  member  of  this  Society  in  like  manner  and  on  the  same 
terms  as  a  physician  living  in  this  county,  on  permission  of  the 
county  society  of  the  county  in  which  the  applicant  lives,  if  there  be 
one,  or  of  the  State  Councilor  for  this  jurisdiction. 

Sec.  5.  A  member  in  good  standing  who  is  free  from  all  indebted- 
ness to  this  Society,  and  against  whom  no  charges  are  pending,  wish- 
ing to  withdraw,  shall  be  granted  a  transfer  card.  This  card  shall 
state  the  date  the  member  associated  himself  with  this  Society,  the 
date  of  issuance  of  the  card,  and  shall  be  signed  by  the  President 
and  Secretary.  It  shall  be  accompanied  with  a  copy  of  the  applica- 
tion presented  at  the  time  the  member  joined  the  Society,  for  infor- 
mation to  the  society  to  which  the  member  desires  to  attach  himself. 

Sec.  6.  All  members  shall  be  equally  privileged  to  attend  all  meet- 
ings and  take  part  in  all  proceedings,  and  shall  be  eligible  to  any 
office  or  honor  within  the  gift  of  the  Society,  so  long  as  they  conform 
to  this  constitution  and  by-laws,  including  the  payment  of  the  dues  to 
this  Society  and  to  the  State  Association:  Provided,  that  no  mem- 
ber under  sentence  of  expulsion  shall  take  part  in  any  of  the  pro- 
ceedings, or  be  eligible  to  any  office  until  relieved  of  such  disability. 
And  provided  further,  that  none  of  the  privileges  of  membership 
shall  be  extended  to  any  person  not  a  member  of  this  Society,  ex- 
cept on  a  majority  vote  of  the  Society  in  regular  meeting. 

Sec.  7.  A  member  who  is  guilty  of  a  criminal  offence  or  of  gross 
misconduct,  either  as  a  physician  or  as  a  citizen,  or  who  violates 
any  of  the  provisions  of  this  constitution  and  by-laws,  shall  be  lia- 
ble to  censure,  suspension  or  expulsion.     Charges  against  a  member 


40 


must  be  made  in  writing  and  be  delivered  to  the  Secretary,  who  shall 
immediately  furnish  a  copy  to  the  accused  and  to  the  chairman  of 
the  Board  of  Censors.  The  Board  of  Censors  shall  investigate  the 
charges  on  their  merits,  but  no  action  shall  be  taken  by  the  Board 
before  giving  the  accused  and  accusers  ample  opportunity  to  be  heard. 
Nor  shall  any  action  be  taken  by  the  Board  within  ten  days  of  the 
presentation  of  the  charges  to  the  accused.  The  Board  shall  report 
(1)  that  the  charges  are  not  sustained;  or  (2)  that  the  charges  are 
sustained,  and  that  the  accused  be  (a)  censured;  (6)  suspended  for  a 
definite  time,  or  (e)  expelled.  Censure  or  suspension  shall  require  a 
two-thirds  vote  of  the  members  present  and  voting,  and  a  three- 
fourths  vote  of  those  present  and  voting  shall  be  required  to  expel 
a  member.  No  action  shall  be  taken  by  the  Society  in  such  cases 
until  at  least  six  weeks  have  elapsed  since  the  filing  of  the  charges. 
A  member  suspended  for  a  definite  time  shall  be  reinstated  at  the 
expiration  of  the  time,  without  action  on  his  part  or  on  the  part  of 
the  Society. 

Sec.  8.  Kindly  efforts  in  the  interest  of  peace,  conciliation  or  refor- 
mation, so  far  as  possible  and  expedient,  shall  precede  the  filing  of 
formal  charges  affecting  the  character  or  standing  of  a  member,  and 
the  accused  shall  have  opportunity  to  be  heard  in  his  own  defence 
in  all  trials  and  proceedings  of  this  nature. 

Sec.  9.  Members  expelled  from  this  Society  for  any  cause  shall  be 
eligible  for  membership  after  one  year  from  date  of  expulsion,  and 
on  the  same  terms  and  in  like  manner  as  original  applicants. 

Chapter  II. — Powers  and  Duties. 

Section  1.  This  Society  shall  have  general  direction  of  the  affairs 
of  the  medical  profession  of  the  county,  and  its  influence  shall  be 
constantly  exerted  to  better  the  scientific,  material  and  social  condi- 
tion of  every  physician  within  its  jurisdiction.  Systematic  efforts 
shall  be  made  by  each  member,  and  by  the  Society  as  a  whole,  to  in- 
crease the  membership  until  it  embraces  every  reputable  physician 
in  the  county. 

Sec.  2.  A  meeting  shall  be  held  at   ....   p.  m.  on  the   in 

each  month   (or  oftener) members  shall  constitute  a  quorum. 

The  officers  and  committee  on  program  shall  profit  by  experience 
and  by  the  example  of  other  similar  societies,  and  strive  to  arrange 
for  the  most  attractive  and  successful  proceedings  for  each  meet- 
ing. Younger  members  especially  shall  be  encouraged  to  do  post- 
graduate and  original  research  work,  and  to  give  this  Society  the 
first  results  of  such  labors.  Crisp  papers  and  discussions  and  re- 
ports of  cases  shall  be  arranged  for  and  encouraged,  and  tedious  and 
profitless  proceedings  and  discussions  shall  be  avoided  as  far  as 
practicable. 

Sec  3.  One  meeting  during  each  year  may  be  set  apart  for  a  dis- 


41 

cussion  of  the  business  affairs  of  the  profession  of  the  county,  with 
the  view  of  adopting  the  best  methods  for  the  guidance  of  all.  In 
all  proper  ways  the  public  shall  be  taught  that  business  methods 
and  prompt  collections  are  essential  to  the  equipment  of  the  modern 
physician  and  surgeon,  and  that  it  suffers  even  more  than  the  pro- 
fession when  this  is  not  recognized. 

Sec.  5.  The  Society  shall  endeavor  to  educate  its  members  to  the 
belief  that  the  physician  should  be  a  leader  in  his  community,  in 
character,  in  learning,  in  dignified  and  manly  bearing,  and  in  cour- 
teous and  open  treatment  of  his  brother  physicians,  to  the  end  that 
the  profession  may  occupy  that  place  in  its  own  and  the  public  esti- 
mation to  which  it  is  entitled. 

Chapter  III. — Officers. 

Section  1.  The  officers  of  the  Society  shall  be  elected  at  the  (De- 
cember) meeting  in  each  year,  which  shall  be  known  as  the  annual 
meeting.  Nominations  shall  be  made  by  informal  ballot,  and  all 
elections  shall  be  by  ballot.  The  vote  of  a  majority  of  all  the  mem- 
bers present  shall  be  necessary  to  an  election. 

Sec  2.  The  President  shall  preside  at  all  meetings  of  the  Society, 
and  perform  such  other  duties  as  custom  and  parliamentary  usage 
may  require.  He  shall  be  the  real  head  of  the  profession  in  the 
county  during  the  year,  and  it  shall  be  his  pride  and  ambition  to 
leave  it  in  better  condition  as  regards  both  scientific  attainments  and 
harmony  than  at  the  beginning  of  his  term  of  office. 

Sec.  3.  The  Vice-President  shall  assist  the  President  in  the  per- 
formance of  his  duties,  shall  preside  in  his  absence,  and,  on  his 
death,  resignation  or  removal  from  the  county,  shall  succeed  to  the 
presidency. 

Sec.  4.  The  Secretary  shall  record  the  minutes  of  the  meetings 
and  receive  and  care  for  all  records  and  papers  belonging  to  the  So- 
ciety, including  its  charter.  He  shall  keep  account  of  and  promptly 
turn  over  to  the  Treasurer  all  funds  of  the  Society  which  may  come 
into  his  hands.  He  shall  make  and  keep  a  correct  list  of  the  mem- 
bers of  this  Society  in  good  standing,  noting  of  each  his  correct 
name,  address,  place  and  date  of  graduation,  and  the  date  of  the 
certificate  entitling  him  to  practice  medicine;  and  in  a  separate  list 
he  shall  note  the  same  facts  in  regard  to  each  legally  qualified  physi- 
cian in  this  county  not  a  member  of  this  Society.  It  shall  be  his  duty 
to  send  a  copy  of  such  lists,  on  blank  forms  furnished  him  for  that 
purpose,  to  the  Secretary  of  the  State  Association,  at  such  time  as 
may  be  designated  by  the  State  Association.  In  making  such  lists 
he  shall  endeavor  to  account  for  each  physician  who  has  moved  into 
or  out  of  the  county  during  the  year,  stating,  when  possible,  both  his 
present  and  past  address.     At  the  same  time,  and  with  his  report  of 


42 

such  lists  of  members  and  physicians,  he  shall  transmit  to  the  Stat* 
Association  his  order  on  the  Treasurer  for  the  annual  dues  of  the 
Society. 

Sec.  5.  The  Treasurer  shall  receive  all  dues  and  money  belonging 
to  the  Society  from  the  hands  of  the  Secretary  or  members,  and 
shall  pay  out  the  same  only  on  the  written  order  of  the  Secretary. 

Sec.  6.  The  delegates  shall  attend  and  faithfully  represent  the 
members  of  this  Society  and  the  profession  of  this  county  in  the 
House  of  Delegates  of  the  State  Society,  and  shall  moke  a  report 
of  the  proceedings  of  that  body  to  this  Society  at  the  earliest  oppor- 
tunity. 

Chapter  IV. — Committees. 

Section  1.  'ihere  shall  be  a  Board  of  Censors  as  provided  in  the 
constitution,  a  standing  committee  on  programs  and  scientific  work, 
a  committee  on  public  health  and  legislation,  and  such  special  com- 
mittees as  may  from  time  to  time  be  deemed  necessary. 

Sec.  2.  Board  of  Censors. — This  Board,  consisting  of  three  mem- 
bers, one  elected  annually,  shall  examine  and  report  on  the  quali- 
fication of  applicants  for  membership,  subjecting  each  applicant 
to  such  examination  as  it  may  deem  necessary.  It  shall  investigate 
charges  preferred  against  a  member,  and  report  its  conclusions  and 
recommendations  to  the  Society.  In  case  of  the  absence  of  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Board,  the  President  may  appoint  some  member  to  fill 
the  vacancy.  The  senior  member  of  the  Board  in  point  of  service 
shall  be  chairman  of  the  Board. 

Sec  3.  Qommittee  on  Program  and  Scientific  Work. — This  com- 
mittee shall  consist  of  the  President,  Vice-President  and  Secretary. 
It  shall  be  its  duty  to  promote  the  scientific  and  social  functions 
of  the  Society  by  arranging  attractive  programs  for  each  meeting, 
and  by  urging  each  member  to  take  part  in  the  scientific  work.  It 
shall  stimulate  fraternalism  and  good  feeling  amoung  the  members 
in  every  way  possible. 

Sec.  4.  Committee  on  Public  Health  and  Legislation. — This  com- 
mittee shall  consist  of  three  members,  who  shall  be  appointed  an- 
nually by  the  President.  It  shall  be  its  duty  to  enforce  and  support 
the  sanitary  and  medical  laws  of  the  State  in  this  county,  to  co-oper- 
ate with  the  legislative  committee  of  the  State  Association  in  all 
matters  pertaining  to  legislation,  and  to  prosecute  quacks  and  medi- 
cal pretenders  in  this  county. 

Chapter  V. — Funds  and  Expenses. 

Section  1.  The  admission  fee,  which  must  accompany  the  appli- 
cation, shall  be  $5.00,  and  shall  include  the  annual  dues  for  the 
fiscal  year,  provided  that  when  more  than  one-half  of  the  fiscal 
year  has  elapsed  at  the  time  of  election  of  a  member,  one-half  of 


43 

the  annual  dues  shall  be  remitted,  making  the  admission  fee  in  such 
cases  $4.00.  The  admission  fee  shall  be  returned  if  the  applicant  is 
not  accepted. 

Sec.  2.  The  annual  dues  shall  be  $2.00,  and  shall  be  payable  on 
January  1  of  each  year.  Any  member  who  shall  fail  to  pay  his 
annual  dues  by  April  1  shall  be  held  as  suspended  without  action 
on  the  part  of  the  Society.  A  member  suspended  for  non-payment 
of  dues  shall  be  restored  to  full  membership  on  payment  of  all 
indebtedness.  Members  more  than  one  year  in  arrears  shall  be 
dropped  from  the  roll  of  members. 

Sec.  3.  The  fiscal  year  of  this  Society  shall  be  from  January  to 
December,  inclusive. 

Chapter  VI. — Order  of  Business. 

The  order  of  business  shall  be  as  follows: 

1.  Call  to  order  by  the  President. 

2.  Reading  of  minutes  of  last  meeting. 

3.  Clinical  cases. 

4.  Papers  and  discussions. 

5.  Unfinished  business. 

6.  Miscellaneous  business. 

7.  Announcements. 

8.  Adjournment. 

Chapter  VII. — Rui.es  of  Order. 

The  deliberations  of  this  Society  shall  be  governed  by  parliamen- 
tary usage  as  contained  in  Robert's  Rules  of  Order,  unless  otherwise 
determined  by  vote. 

Chapter  VIII. — Principles  of  Ethics. 

The  Principles  of  Ethics  of  the  American  Medical  Association  and 
of  the  Medical  Society  of  the  State  of  North  Carolina  shall  be  the 
Code  of  this  Society. 

Chapter  IX. — Amendments. 

These  by-laws  may  be  amended  at  any  regular  meeting  by  a  two- 
thirds  vote  therefor,  provided  that  such  amendment  has  been  read 
in  open  session  at  the  preceding  regular  meeting,  and  a  copy  of  the 
same  has  been  sent  to  each  member  by  the  Secretary  ten  days  in 
advance  of  the  meeting  at  which  final  action  is  to  be  taken. 


f 


NC-CH  HEALTH  SCIENCES  LIBRARY 


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